Decision details

To approve the award of the contract for Community Supported Living Services for adults with complex learning disabilities.

The Community Based Supported Living Service will support outcomes based commissioning and the delivery of a progressive model of support in line with the principles set out in the Care Act 2014.

The service specification is designed to give flexibility to the service provider to deliver care and support based on the needs and outcomes of individuals, rather than based on defined criteria. The services will be provided in and from the service user’s home to support them with aspects of their life as described in their care and support plan.

The service will seek to achieve the following key outcomes for the users of the service:-

a.    Have equality of opportunity to become part of their communities and do the things that they enjoy, regardless of their needs.

b.    Choose who they live with and who they invite into their home, in the same way as any other person

c.    Maximise the benefits that information and communication technology may give them, when wanted, for example to talk to their friends and family, shop and make friends

d.    Access transport which meets their needs.

e.    Move from Supported Living properties to live as independently as possible in the community if they choose to do so

f.     Maintain their skills, and develop new ones, in the areas that they want to.

g.    Try new things, pursue leisure interests, participate in physical and mental activity and access community resources if they want to

h.    Choose how to dress, what to eat and when, where to go shopping, what to do and when to do it

i.      Be active members of their local communities, with the same rights as any other person, to attend clubs, local groups, socialise and have relationships with friends, family and partners in the ways that they choose

j.      Develop friendships and social networks away from their care and support environment, should they wish to

k.    Any additional outcomes contained in the Service User’s Care and Support Plan in relation to Residential Care or Short Breaks.

The Community Based Supported Living Service was initially established in 2011 to support adults with a learning disability to move into supported living from NHS hospital campuses, with support services continued to be provided by NHS organisations.

The contract was subsequently novated to the Council following the transfer of adult social services to the Council on 1 April 2012.

The following options were considered and rejected:

Option 1 - Continuation of current services: 

This option was rejected because a continuation of the current service would have put Peterborough City Council in breach of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 which required the contract to be put out to tender.

Option 2 - Terminate the existing contract and do not procure a new service.

This option would allow service users to make use of direct payments to purchase their own support individually.  However, it was decided that the service users would be put at a disadvantage as not all of them have capacity to make use of direct payments.

Option 3 - Make use of the existing framework of Learning Disability homecare providers

This option was considered and rejected as it was felt that synergies and efficiencies created due to the size of the service would be lost if it was separated into individual properties.

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