Decision

The Council has approved the decision to procure a new Cumberland. Microenterprise Service on a 1-year term with two optional 12 months extensions at a total value of £303k. The service will focus on finding people with the skills, experience and passion to set up a care/prevention focused microenterprise. With the winning provider (following a mini competition) supporting individuals to set up a care microenterprise making sure they have the right processes, policies, insurances, qualifications and experience in place to operate a well-run lawful enterprise.

Reasons for the decision

The permission to procure a new Cumberland Microenterprise Service has been approve for the following reasons:

• To promote customer choice allowing customers to source their own personal care by expanding the network of care focus microenterprises in operation within Cumberland.
• To provide care for customers leaving in rural communities where independent market provision is limited.
• To focus on developing new prevention focused service which aim to promote and maintain customers independence and mental and physical wellbeing. So, people remain, living in their homes in good health for longer.   

Alternative options considered

A number of alternative commissioning options were considered as follows:

Option 2 Choose not to support a new Microenterprise service in Cumberland from 02/08/2025 relying on the existing microenterprises operating in 288 customers delivering 1308 of care hours a week, to continue without the support of a local officer.

Option 2 is not recommended as the existing Microenterprise service does not cover the entirety of Cumberland and would not be able to grow existing capacity and the loss of a local Officer to network and support the existing Microenterprises would likely see Microenterprises exiting the market.

Option 3 bring the service inhouse, employing a local Officer to support the existing network of care microenterprises and to find, support and train individuals with a passion for care to set up as new care and prevention microenterprise within their local communities to meet Cumberland customers care and support needs.

Option 3 is not recommended as the Council does not currently have access to a defined training programme or to a national network of microenterprises from which to learn from and share good and innovative practice. The Council would also need to develop a bespoke social media offer to attract interest from people with the skills to set up their own care microenterprise and then to promote their services to customers looking to find a personal carer.