The Health and Adults Care Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to discuss the strategic direction of commissioning within the council and the outline of commissioning and contracting work. The panel was also set to review the terms of reference for its deep dive into commissioning and contract management for adult social care staff and providers.

Strategic Direction of Commissioning

The meeting agenda included a discussion on The Strategic Direction of Commissioning in the Council, with Councillor Lily Bath, Steven Forbes, and Martin Waddington listed as attendees for this item. This discussion was intended to explore the overarching strategy for how the council plans and procures services, particularly within the health and adult care sectors.

Commissioning and Contracting Work

An outline of the commissioning and contracting work carried out by the council was scheduled to be presented by James Hearn, Senior Joint Commissioning Manager. This would have provided an overview of the processes involved in securing services for residents, including how contracts are awarded and managed.

Panel Deep Dive Terms of Reference

The panel was set to review its Terms of Reference for a deep dive into Commissioning and contract management for adult social care staff and providers. This deep dive, which is scheduled to run until March 2025, aims to understand the council's commissioning approach, contract award processes, management and monitoring mechanisms, and the impact of staffing levels on service delivery. The stated goal is to ensure that the council is achieving good value for its residents and meeting their needs through commissioned social care provision. The terms of reference outline key areas of investigation, including:

• The commissioning approach taken at the London Borough of Hounslow.
• How the London Borough of Hounslow awards Adult Social Care contracts.
• How these contracts are managed and monitored, and what metrics are used.
• The impact of current staffing levels in certain providers on the delivery of contractual obligations.
• Mechanisms to ensure providers are delivering adequate services to residents.

The panel intends to make recommendations on how the council might improve its management and monitoring of Adult Social Care contracts.

Previous Meeting Notes

The agenda also included the notes from an informal meeting held on 8 July 2024. During that meeting, the panel discussed the process for its deep dive and selected Commissioning and contract management for adult social care staff and providers as the topic for consideration. The notes indicate that the panel's focus would be on understanding tendering processes, contract awards, scoring and valuation, provider monitoring, the role of the VCSE sector, staff training, and the impact of staffing on commissioning. The aim was to ensure good value for residents and that their needs are met.

The meeting was scheduled to conclude with a panel discussion on the presentation by the Commissioning Team, a discussion on next steps, visits, and the review of good practice, followed by any other urgent matters and the date of the next meeting.