WrexhamCounty Borough Council
Response/Digest FOI: 2999 –
Department: ASC and Prevention and Social Care
Adults
• Who is your main contact for Commissioning Services for Adult
Social Care?
Andrew Figiel is the Head of Adult Social Care and the Statutory Director of Social Services.
• Do you currently use an IT system to support your contract
management? If Yes please name the system and suppliers ?
Tenders are currently carried out using Bravo Solutions E-tender software. Contracts are currently managed using Microsoft Office programmes.
• How much does this IT system cost, when did you sign up for the
contract and how long was the contract?
The system has been procuredby the WelshGovernment andis supplied free of charge to Wrexham County Borough Councilvia the Welsh Government'sXchangeWales e procurement programme.
The Council commenced using the system in 2008 and WelshGovernment are currently assessing options for a re procurement exercise to commence.
• Once service users are assessed, what is the split between
self-funders and people reliant on the local authority to pay for
their care (full or part)?
Information not held.
• Do you provide brokerage services for self/part funders?
We have a contract with an organisation to provide assistance for those service users who have chosen to take a direct payment and purchase their own care. This service covers both Adult and Children’s services
• Do you use/plan to use micro-procurement/commissioning?
All services are procured in line with the authorities financial regulations. The financial regulations advise officers of which procurement routes are available to them depending on the total contract value. ‘Micro Procurement’ would be an option for services where the value is less than £10,000.
• Do private brokers operate in your area?
Adult Social Care would not hold this information.
• How do you currently procure your services, please provide
information of the split between the following methods? e.g. via
commissioning teams, social workers do it themselves, panels for
expensive care packages, micro-procurement/commissioning,
personalisation/self-directed support.
Domiciliary Care Packages will be brokered via the Contracts Team from a regional list of approved providers following approval at panel. 28%
Care Home placements will be purchased via WCBC or other Local Authorities approved provider lists by Social Workers and taking into account service user choice once approved at panel. 53%
Supported Living contracts are tendered in line with the authorities financial regulations by the Contracts Team via an approved provider list with input from social workers, tenants and families. 14%
Day Care placements are purchased directly by social workers 1%
Third Sector Contracts are tendered in line with the authorities financial regulations. 4%
All tender opportunities are advertised on sell2wales.
• What is the proportion of the above? Please provide me with an
estimated split between all of your service types
Please see estimate of % above
• How many providers do you contract with and are they
internal/external?
Currently contracted with 16 independent Domiciliary Care Providers
Currently contracted with 36 independent Care Homes within Wrexham
Currently contract with 70 independent Supported Living Providers
• How many contracts and of what type does your councils manage in
the commissioning of adult social care services? e.g. is it
referrals to in-house services, predominantly spot purchasing,
purchasing under framework contracts/agreements, block contracts
orcost and volume contracts
All contracts with external care homes, domiciliary care providers and supported living providers are ‘spot’ purchases. Contracts with Third Sector organisations are made under either a grant or contract arrangement and are paid quarterly in advance.
• Do you have a performance management framework for monitoring
theperformance of providers? If so then would it be possible to
forward or provide a link to it.
We undertake quality monitoring of all contracted services. Current processes attached.
Children’s
• Who is your main contact for Commissioning Services for
Children’s Services?
Susan Evans is Head of Department Children and Young Peoples Service, Prevention and Social Care, and main contact for Children’s Services , Andrew Figiel is Statutory Director of Social Services.
• Do you currently use an IT system to support your contract
management? If Yes please name the system?
We do not use an IT system to support contract management, the information is held on Microsoft packages in Word and Excel format.
• How much does this IT system cost, when did you sign up for the
contract and how long was the contract?
Not applicable.
• How do you currently procure your services for Children’s Social
Care, please provide information of the split between the following
methods e.g. via commissioning teams, social workers do it
themselves, panels for expensive care packages,
micro-procurement/commissioning
All services are procured 100% via Commissioning Teams. Services/Care Packages are approved prior to procurement via the correct panel.
• What is the proportion of the above?
Not applicable
• Do you use/plan to use micro-procurement/commissioning?
All services are procured in line with the authorities financial regulations. The financial regulations advise officers of which procurement routes are available to them depending on the total contract value. ‘Micro Procurement’ would be an option for services where the value is less than £10,000.
• How many providers do you contract with and are they
internal/external?
We currently contract with
Internal providers– 25
External providers - 40
• How many contracts and of what type does your councils manage in
the commissioning of Children’s social care services? e.g. is it
referrals to in-house services, predominantly spot purchasing,
purchasing under framework contracts/agreements, block contracts
orcost and volume contracts
Out of County Fostering – 26 Placements with 4 Providers (as@ 31/12/12)
Out of County Residential – 7 Placements with 4 Providers (as @ 31/12/12)
Third Sector Council Funded – 11
Third Sector Grant Funded - 21
• Do you have a performance management framework for monitoring
theperformance of providers? If so then would it be possible to
forward a copy or provide a link to it.
We have a performance management framework for monitoring. Performance indicators and a reporting framework are agreed for each contract. These are monitored as set out in the attached.