ASC25017 Learning Disabilities Replacement Care - Preliminary Market Engagement

Please note: This is a preliminary market engagement exercise, and NOT an opportunity to submit tenders.

Information presented in this notice COULD CHANGE and it might not turn into a procurement exercise, depending on the results of market testing and consultation. Therefore any information related to values and contract start and end dates are INDICATIVE / ESTIMATED at this stage.

As part of our duties under the Care Act 2014, Worcestershire County Council supports the needs of adults and their carers under the Act’s eligibility criteria. This includes the provision of replacement care (often referred to as respite or a short break) where this is specified in an individual’s Care and Support Plan.

There are five commissioned Learning Disability replacement care services, two of which are operated by the Council.

The Council are seeking to review and consult on future service delivery options of the two Council owned replacement care provision services:

• Worth Crescent, in Stourport, which is a 10 bedded unit

• Pershore Short Breaks, in Station Road is a 4-bedded service

The Proposal

The Council are considering what options are available to improve the service provision to meet the needs of residents, as follows:

1. Continue with the existing provision, at their current location, which is Worth Crescent, in Stourport, and Pershore Short Breaks, in Station Road.

2. Combine the existing service provision at Pershore Short Breaks and Worth Crescent, to another premises, located in Worcester City Centre, with the option to sell or repurpose the premises in Worth Crescent and Station Road.

3. Transfer the services currently provided at Worth Crescent to Pershore Short Breaks and create a 12 bed unit, within the existing Pershore Short Breaks premises, which creates the opportunity to sell or lease the Worth Crescent building.

4. Consider outsourcing all replacement care provision to the external market.

Please read the cabinet paper attached to the project for further details.

The Council must consider the best use of its property assets and provide high quality services in the most efficient and effective manner. Therefore, the Council are exploring the benefits of all four options and are wanting to seek views from care suppliers on option 4.

The Service provision would need to:

a) Supply and manage 12 replacement care beds that the Council would potentially fund under a block contracting arrangement, this could be at one or more locations.

b) Provide replacement care 7 nights a week, 52 weeks per year.

c) Provide meaningful activities for all adults with a learning disability who are receiving replacement care in accordance with their agreed support plans.

The information you provide to us will be used by Worcestershire County Council. It will only be used to inform recommendations on our options appraisal for the Council’s residential replacement care provisions for adults with learning disabilities. None of your personal details or individual responses will be shared with any third party.

We are therefore seeking feedback from care suppliers through this questionnaire. Whilst logged into the system, please "Express Interest" to unlock the "Preliminary Market Engagement" tab. That will make the cabinet report visible, as well as the questionnaire for you to complete.

If you would like to respond to this questionnaire but experience issues doing so via In-tend, please download the Word version from the "Clarifications" tab and email your reply to amiron@worcestershire.gov.uk.