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The Adult Social Care & Housing Senior
Leadership Team (ASC&H SLT,) appointed a new provider to
deliver Cumberland micro-enterprise service on an initial one-year
term (starting in August 2025) with two optional 12-month
extensions available. The use of the extension is subject to the
winning provider evidencing to the ASC&H SLT the impact of the
service in reducing demand on statutory services, through the
creation of network new prevention focused microenterprises with
Cumberland.
 
The appointment of the new service provider
(People First Independent Advocacy,) 
was based on a robust tender scoring process (assessed against
quality 70%, price, 20% and social value 10%,) with the provider
with the highest score (awarded the contract.

Reasons for the decision

The appointment of the new provider (People
First Independent Advocacy) to deliver the Cumberland
Microenterprise Service (with a prevention focus) will support the
following outcomes:
 

Promote customer choice allowing
customers to source their own personal care by expanding the
network of care and prevention focussed microenterprises in
operation within the Cumberland area.
Provide care for customers leaving
in rural communities where the existing independent market
provision is limited.
Provide greater numbers of
prevention focussed microenterprises in Cumberland with the aim of
reducing pressure on statutory services by support people to
maintain their independence and live longer healthy lives in their
own homes.
Provide greater connectivity between
microenterprises and customers living with mental and physical
disabilities that need care and support.

 

Alternative options considered

A number of alternative commissioning options
were considered at the permission to procure stage (which
haven’t changed) as follows:
 
Option 2 Choose not to support a new
Microenterprise service in Cumberland from 02/08/2025 relying on
the existing 46 Microenterprises currently established and
operating in Allerdale and covering some delivery in who support
288 customers delivering 1308 of care hours a week, to
continue.
 
Option 2 is not recommended as the
Microenterprise service does not cover the entirety of Cumberland.
The Council would not be able to acquire future delivery data, with
the Microenterprise service providing the only service delivery
data on Direct Payments and the loss of a local Officer to network
and support the existing Microenterprises would likely see
Microenterprises exit the market with no Officer in place to
support the rebuilding/ increasing of capacity through the
establishment of additional care and prevention microenterprises
across Cumberland.
 
Option 3 bring the service inhouse,
employing a local Officer (TUPE will need to be considered,) to
support the existing network of care microenterprises and to find,
support and train individuals with a passion for care to set up new
care and prevention microenterprise in their local communities to
meet Cumberland customers care and support needs.
 
Option 3 is not recommended as the
Council does not have access to a defined training programme
(incumbent provider uses Doing it Right Standards,) or have access
to a national network of microenterprises from which to learn from
and share good and innovative practice and would need to develop a
bespoke social media offer to attract interest from people
interested in training to set up their own care microenterprise and
to advertise microenterprise care offers to potential customers
looking for someone to deliver their care and support needs.