Decision details

Promoting Independence

Decision Maker: Co-operative Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Purpose:

The Promoting Independence project aims to enhance the offer available to adults in mental health accommodation so that they can have the greatest possible level of independence.

Decision:

11.1

The Executive Director, People Services submitted a  report describing the aims and objectives of the Promoting Independence project, highlighting the positive outcomes that will be achieved for vulnerable mental health service users if it is successful, describing the financial model and associated medium-term savings, and seeking approval for this project.

 

 

11.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:-

 

 

 

(a)

approves the Promoting Independence Business Case, including the proposed method of funding using social investment;

 

 

 

 

(b)

delegates authority to the Director of Finance and Commercial Service, in consultation with the Director of Legal and Governance and Executive Director, People Services, to approve the Procurement Strategy and Contract Award for the project, undertake a procurement exercise and subsequently enter into contracts with awarded parties; and

 

 

 

 

(c)

delegates further decisions about the implementation of this project (insofar as not delegated under the Leader’s Scheme of Delegation) to the Director of Commissioning, Inclusion and Learning, in consultation with the Executive Director, People Services.

 

 

 

11.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

11.3.1

The option of creating a new service, funding through a social investment model, is preferred because:

 

  • If successful, the service will result in a cohort of vulnerable adults achieving greater independence in their lives.  Specifically, individuals will be:

- supported to move from their current care arrangements into either supported or independent living and to maintain this move for 24 months.

- supported to begin, and complete, a training or education programme that is relevant to their development needs.

  • The new service will be established without requiring any immediate disinvestment from current provision (effectively allowing ‘double running’ for a number of years).

·         If successful, this approach will result in a net saving to the public purse of £3m - £3.7m over the lifetime of the project (net of outcomes payments to be made to repay the up-front social investment).

 

 

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

11.4.1

Social investment is a relatively new tool that is available to local authorities to help fund new services where there is a demonstrable positive impact on outcomes from the intervention. However, it is not a panacea, and for some issues there are better ways of investing in new service models. 

 

 

11.4.2

In this case, the option of delivering this project through a traditional fee for service model, funded up-front through City Council budgets, has been considered. However, these budgets are under significant pressure, and it has not been possible to identify any way to refocus existing spending to enable this without a significant negative impact on existing service provision.

 

 

11.4.3

If no intervention is put in place for this cohort, it’s expected that the number of people living in 24/7 residential or nursing care will remain static, and individuals will continue enter residential care and go onto live in this accommodation for many years. Many will only leave the service when they turn 65 and age out of the cohort. It’s expected that the cost of these placements will continue to rise, reaching over £6m per annum by the 2024/25 financial year.

 

 

11.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

 

 

 

None

 

 

11.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

 

 

 

None

 

 

11.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

 

 

 

Jayne Ludlam, Executive Director, People Services

 

 

11.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

 

 

 

Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care

 

 

 

 

Report author: Emma Shepherd

Publication date: 27/03/2018

Date of decision: 21/03/2018

Decided at meeting: 21/03/2018 - Co-operative Executive

Effective from: 05/04/2018

Accompanying Documents: