Derby City Council is making further improvements to Adult Social Care Community Services, including a review of how they are provided, to ensure the right care and support for our citizens.
Customers, carers and families will be at the heart of developing and shaping these services, alongside consultation and engagement with care providers.
The Council is undertaking a commissioning programme across its Community Services areas. The process will look at contracts for the provision of Supported Living, Day Opportunities and Homecare services.
Supported Living is the provision of support in a person’s home, often supporting people’s mental health, learning disability or autistic needs, to allow them to live as independently as possible. Homecare is the delivery of personal care in people’s homes, with packages of care designed to meet individually assessed needs and circumstances.
Day Opportunities includes a range of services to allow people eligible for support to access meaningful activities during the day and in the evenings. These activities contribute to their wellbeing, help increase independence and can provide additional support to carers.
The Council is committed to delivering Adult Social Care services for the elderly and vulnerable in Derby, with funding of around £45m prioritised each year for Community Services.
At its meeting on 10 July 2024, Council Cabinet members approved funding of £359m for commissioning and procurement activities for Adult Community Services over the next eight years. The Council plans to contract for up to eight years to provide market stability and workforce recruitment, retention and professional development.
The current contracts have either been in place for several years and are coming to a natural end or, as with Day Opportunities, require the development of a managed service contract. The Council is therefore taking the opportunity to undertake a programme of development work to improve the services offered to customers.
Customers and carers will be consulted throughout the commissioning and procurement programme to ensure services are truly centred on their needs, and their feedback will shape how we provide care in the future. The Council will also actively consult with Derby Care Association (DeCA), which was recently established to represent all areas of the adult care market, as well as care providers themselves.
This will strengthen and support the development of partnerships with providers across all markets and allow collaboration with partners such as the NHS, Integrated Care Board and other local authorities in the area.
The new arrangements will be implemented in phases, with the process expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
Councillor Alison Martin, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Care, said:
We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality Adult Social Care services that we possibly can so we’re pleased to be launching this review of our Community Services.
It’s a great opportunity to ensure services truly meet the needs of customers and carers, who will be front and centre of this process.