Purpose

To approve the extension of the 'Care Homes
Unified Contract (Residential and Nursing DPS Accredited List)' to
23rd Feb 2029.
The current Contract is due to expire on 4th September 2026.

Decision

That:
a)   
The period of validity of the existing
DPS for the Council’s nursing and residential care homes is
extended until 23rd February 2029; and
 
b)   
Authority is delegated to the Director
for Community and Wellbeing to take all operational decisions to
implement recommendation (a) and to terminate the DPS in accordance
with its terms on 12 months’ notice when new arrangements to
deliver nursing and residential care are in place
 

Alternative options considered

1.             
Alternative Option
1 – Do Nothing
If
the Council were to do nothing, the period of validity will expire
after 5th September 2026. This is not an option as the
Council has a statutory responsibility for provision of existing
and new placements in line with the Care Act 2014 and Section
5.
 

2.             
Alternative Option
2 – Re-commission purchasing of
adult care home provision
This
would see the Council re-commission purchasing of adult care home
provision by 5th September 2026. The risks identified
with this approach include:

a.    
Timeframe for re-commissioning is limited and would
be heavily driven by time as opposed to quality.

b.    
Significant impact to the commissioning resource,
where there is critical delivery required across transformation and
savings workstreams.

c.    
Owing to a
lack of familiarity with varied / new procurement options open to
the Council following changes implemented by the Procurement Act
2023 there is additional uncertainty which would make completing an
exercise of this scale within a short time frame higher
risk.

d.    
Procurement
options appraisals work undertaken thus far indicates the most
appropriate ‘procurement vehicle’ may not be aligned to
current market conditions in Herefordshire.