Councillor Coxshall introduced the report and confirmed it concerns going out to tender for the contract for Domiciliary care. The current contract expires on 31^st March 2025. It is for a 10 year long contract with a contract value of nearly 115 million pounds. In quarter 1 in 2023, nearly 9000 hours of service were provided. In comparison, in 2013 only 5100 hours were provided. Demand for the service will increase as demographic data shows that Thurrock’s population is ageing. Wellbeing teams are being introduced in Thurrock to provide bespoke and more personalised solutions for residents. The Domiciliary care market is quite fragile. Option 1 in the report is keeping the traditional time and task care. Councillor Coxshall stated that this method doesn’t work and doesn’t provide bespoke services to residents. Whilst Thurrock has piloted the wellbeing team model, it has only been a pilot in a small area and is not ready to be rolled out. The Council is looking to work with providers to build and learn and evolve the model to move to our end goal without the risk of destabilising things and to support the market to create much better solutions for residents.

The Leader raised the issue of recruiting carers and queried if this could help.

Councillor Coxshall stated that it has been noticed that staff retention has increased with the Wellbeing teams. Staff have the freedom to create and co-produce with residents. They are upskilling staff so they can administer insulin. This means residents don’t have to wait for a Community Nurse to do it as a social worker can.

Councillor Coxshall explained that going forward they need to make sure social worker’s feel valued and give them the freedom and power to make impactful change in Thurrock’s communities and this model is the way to do it.

Councillor Carter commented that he had worked in the care industry for close to a decade and he is of the view the report is positive and the right step to take, he queried how this will help rural communities.

Councillor Coxshall referred to the appendix to the report which breaks down the locations of home care provided. Rural communities are harder to reach. Councillor Coxshall stated as they build the model it will be built around primary care networks so you can have a provider in each community. Thurrock has supported the creations of micro enterprises who may offer services residents want and with direct payments residents can choose the services they buy into. Councillor Coxshall reassured the meeting that they are looking to provide the same level of care to rural communities as those in urban communities.

Councillor D Arnold commented that when she was Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care she always hoped this would move along. Building a connection with the person you are looking after is a real honour. For those receiving care they don’t have to repeat themselves and the person knows and understands them already. Having smaller enterprises more local would be better.

Councillor Coxshall responded that the time and task model is archaic. It creates a barrier. Others want to copy the model Thurrock have created.

Councillor D Arnold stated that her one worry with this is it is difficult to quantify all the wellbeing elements up the chain to the accountant level and it is something that needs to be looked at in corporate performance and measuring outcomes to safeguard those services.

Councillor Johnson welcomed the report and stated that although the bespoke care for the receiver is paramount, if relationships can be built and staff can be retained through this model then it can only go from strength to strength. It is important the people giving the care are happy in their job.

The Leader agreed that to those receiving care having their likes and dislikes considered is really important.

Councillor Snell queried what is the fallback position if they are not able to procure micro enterprises in time.

Councillor Coxshall stated that the priority is microenterprises. The market is fragile and they are trying to develop it with micro enterprises or larger providers. They are hoping that they can work with microenterprises.

RESOLVED:

1.1          To approve the tender of domiciliary care services to meet our statutory requirements under the Care Act (2014).  This includes both the core domiciliary care service, reablement and the Out of Hours service.

1.2      Delegate the award of the contract to the Executive Director for Adults, Housing and Health in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Health, Adult’s Health, Community and Public Protection

Reason for the decision: as outlined in the report

This decision is subject to call-in