The Community & Adult Services Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to consider several key policy development and pre-decision scrutiny items. These include the recommissioning of domiciliary care, the Pengam Green Masterplan Phase 1 concerning Gypsy Traveller provision, and the recommissioning of residential care. The committee will also review its draft work programme for the upcoming year.

Pengam Green Masterplan Phase 1 - Gypsy Traveller Provision

The committee is scheduled to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of the Pengam Green Masterplan Phase 1, specifically focusing on the provision for Gypsy and Traveller communities. Further details on this item are to follow.

Recommissioning of Residential Care

This meeting includes a pre-decision scrutiny of the recommissioning of residential care services. The specific details of what will be discussed are to follow.

Approach to Domiciliary Care Recommissioning

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to policy development concerning the approach to recommissioning domiciliary care. This item will involve a presentation and discussion with invited officers and Councillor Norma Mackie, Cabinet Member for Social Services (Adult Services and Public Health).

The report pack indicates that domiciliary care, which provides support to individuals in their own homes, is currently commissioned through a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). This system involves individual care packages being put out to the market, with providers bidding based on a combination of price and quality scores. However, concerns have been raised about the current approach, including an oversupply of providers on the DPS, high competition for packages, and low bid prices. The report also highlights current trends such as high demand for domiciliary care, with older persons' services in Cardiff North being the greatest area of demand. A significant finding is that 51% of the domiciliary care workforce are migrant workers, and the report notes potential workforce gaps when sponsorships end in July 2028.

The proposed future model aims for a strong locality model with a focus on partnership, fewer but stronger care providers, and an increased focus on quality and outcomes. This would involve dividing Cardiff into three localities: Cardiff North; Cardiff East, South-East and City & South; and Cardiff West and South-West. The report suggests a mixed approach with larger Anchor providers and smaller Supporting providers within each locality. A move to a framework approach is proposed to offer more certainty to both the council and providers, aiming for a more sustainable care market. The report also discusses a potential shift in fee setting, moving towards a single standard rate for all packages delivered through the framework, which is expected to be higher than the current floor rate and aligned with the ceiling rate to support provider sustainability and Fair Work principles. A new role of Locality Co-ordinator is also proposed to act as a point of contact for providers and to enhance community connections.

Draft Work Programme 2026/27

The committee is scheduled to discuss its draft Work Programme for 2026/27. This involves prioritising agenda items for the upcoming municipal year. The terms of reference for the committee include areas such as public and private housing, community safety, adult social care, and mental health and physical disabilities. The work programme will be published on the council's website and refreshed quarterly. Key areas highlighted for the work programme include the response to a Task and Finish Inquiry on the access and experience of adult social care services for ethnic minority communities, Cardiff's response to Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV), and strategies relating to learning disability, neurodiversity, and physical disability.

Way Forward

This agenda item is scheduled to review the evidence and information gathered during the consideration of each agenda item. The committee will discuss members' comments, observations, and concerns to be passed on to the relevant Cabinet Member by the Chair.