Decision details

8.1

The Executive Director, Communities submitted a report outlining the Commissioning Plan for Adult and Parent Carers which detailed the commissioning intentions for Sheffield City Council (2016-20) including the services we wish to purchase and other interventions and programmes.

8.2

RESOLVED: That:-

(a)

the report is noted and approval is given to the Commissioning Plan for Parent and Adult Carers;

(b)

in accordance with the Commissioning Plan and this report, Cabinet approves the use of the Council’s existing framework of Collaborative Partnerships that provide preventative health and wellbeing following the People Keeping Well principles for community based outreach carers services;

(c)

in accordance with the Commissioning Plan and this report, Cabinet approves the procurement via an open tender process for core city wide support services for carers, including the delivery of Carers Assessments (as set out in section 10 of the Care Act), the management of a small grant pot, developing support plans for carers, helping identify services and managing the overall budget available to support carers;

(d)

in accordance with the Commissioning Plan and this report, Cabinet approves the move from a contract for sitting services for all carers to an approach where the assessment of the need for a sitting service is included in social care assessments and where an eligible need is identified this need will be met through a direct payment or through a separately procured contract for which separate approval will be sought;

(e)

in accordance with the Commissioning Plan and this report, authority is delegated to the Director of Commissioning, in consultation with Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care and the Director of Commercial Services, to:

(i) award contracts for core city wide support services for carers following the open tender process;

(ii) approve the extension of core city wide support contracts after the expiry of the initial 3 year term;

(iii) develop options, procure and award contracts for short breaks; and

(iv) approve one off procurement and contracts for raising awareness of carer issues; and

(f)

the Director of Commissioning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, the Director of Legal and Governance and the Director of Commercial Services, be authorised totake such other steps as he deems appropriate to achieve the outcomes in this report and the Commissioning Plan.

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

The Commissioning Plan is based within the Framework of Improving Carers Lives and directly aligns with the principles as set out in the recently approved Young Carers, Parent and Adult Carers Strategy.

8.3.2

The commissioning intentions have been guided by the co-production activity the Authority has undertaken with carers.

8.3.3

The Strategy will enable the Authority to comply with a new statutory duty as set out in section 10 of the Care Act 2014.

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

The alternative option would be not to have a strategy for carers.  This is not a viable alternative as it would result in a breach of a statutory duty, and has been outlined in the strategy and this report; it is legally, morally, socially and economically important for Sheffield to continue to support its carers.

8.4.2

Carers are identified in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2015-2018: provide direct support to more carers than ever before.

8.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

None

8.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

None

8.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

Laraine Manley, Executive Director, Communities

8.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care