Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Recommendations:-

1.      That the procurement of independent advocacy services be aligned to the service delivery model in preferred Option 2, described in this report.

2.      That the statutory NHS Complaints Advocacy Service be included in the scope of this procurement exercise.

3.      That the contract term be 3 years + 1 + 1.

Consideration was given to the report which detailed the commissioning and procurement of independent advocacy services for adults, though this also included some provision for young people aged between 16 and 17 years old.

Independent Advocacy Services were necessary to meet all of the Council’s statutory requirements under the Care Act 2014, the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Mental Health Act 2007 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Statutory independent advocacy services specifically provided support to people:-

-           Who may require assistance throughout the care and support assessment and through the review process.

-           Who lacked mental capacity to make decision about themselves.

-           Who were detained under the Mental Health Act.

-           Who required support to complain about services provided by the NHS.

The Healthwatch contract was now coming to an end and needed to be retendered. Healthwatch did have an advocacy role so it would appear to be logical to include the NHS Complaints Advocacy (currently delivered by Healthwatch) in the scope of this advocacy procurement exercise, and to commence a tender process in line with Option Two outlined in the report, with the objective of mobilising new independent advocacy services from 1st April, 2020 for a contract period of 3 years + 1 + 1 arrangement. 

Independent Advocacy Services that supported people to challenge benefit claims was outside the scope of this consideration, but should any issues relating to benefits come to the attention of the health and social care advocacy service, people were referred to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Kiveton Park Advice Centre or if appropriate to the Department of Work and Pensions.    

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to G.Ps. being recommended to access training in respect of advocacy services through the protected training time and that, following twelve months of operation after the award of the contract, an update report detailing performance and outcomes be submitted to the Health Select Commission.

The Cabinet were happy to accept those recommendations.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the procurement of independent advocacy services be aligned to the service delivery model in preferred Option 2, described in this report.

(2)  That the statutory NHS Complaints Advocacy Service be included in the scope of this procurement exercise.

(3)  That the contract term be 3 years + 1 + 1.