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A report on the commissioning of adult residential care is set to be discussed by BCBC’s Cabinet later today (pdf).
Bridgend Council currently commissions around half of all residential care home placements for older people in the county.
19 homes and providers in the county are contracted this way, but reforms to how residential care is commissioned in Wales are proposed with the potential introduction of regional planning and local delivery. While it presents opportunities, it also presents challenges.
As there isn’t a competitive market for social care in Bridgend county (because it’s highly specialised), in March 2020 the council sought feedback from care providers on switching to an “openly procured flexible framework” (English: all interested bidders would be invited to tender, regardless of track record or suitability).
The council argues in its risk assessment that the care sector is highly regulated, so concerns about standard and quality of care under an open procurement process are possibly unfounded. However, there was a strong response from care providers given that this discussion happened at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report says care providers were “extremely concerned at the timing of the request” and 6 of the 19 homes would refuse to take part in an open procurement process. That could have potentially resulted in the loss of around 25% of care home beds in the county. Only 5 homes said they “might” consider it, while 2 would go along with the majority opinion.
As a result, officers recommend the council abandons plans for open procurement and continues to waive a requirement for competitive tender. The current contracts with the 19 providers would be extended for three years (with an optional further three-year extension).
Another matter up for discussion is the amount of money BCBC pays providers for council-commissioned placements.
Care Forum Wales’ “Cheapskate Awards” for 2020-21 placed Bridgend in mid-table, with the average fee for each placement being £642.50-a-week, which is slightly below the Welsh average (£644.34).
BCBC is set to pay an additional £723,000 in 2021-22, made up of a 1.62% increase in fees caused by a combination of inflation and the Living Wage (which will be partially covered by a Welsh Government grant).
