Service Reviews – Outline Business Case - Somerset County Council

(Cabinet – 2 May 2012)
1 Scope and context
1.1 Background
Somerset County Council’s (SCC’s) County Plan is to become a smaller, more
enabling organisation focused on its customers, with a target operating model that
ensures services are “right sourced”; i.e. that the most efficient and effective
commissioning solution is applied to community needs. The expectation is largely
that in future the Council will shape and influence service provision, rather than
provide services directly.
Unlike most other areas of adult social care provision across the country, Somerset
County Council still has a large in-house provider service (the “LDPS”) that
supports adults with learning disabilities who have a range of needs that meet Fair
Access to Care Services (FACS) eligibility criteria. The customers supported by the
service are among the most vulnerable people funded by SCC, and include
individuals with complex physical needs, autistic spectrum conditions and those
whose behaviour challenges. The LDPS accounts for 55% of the total spend
against this customer group and supports approximately 900 of the 1600 adults
with a learning disability across the county supported by SCC. The remaining 700
customers are supported through spot or block contracts with external providers or
via Direct Payments. These customers and suppliers are out of scope for this
service review.
It is anticipated that the growing use of Personal Budgets will, over time, lead to
people making different choices about the social care services that they receive,
and will provide additional incentives for service providers to personalise their
response to each individual. It will require providers to operate in a way that
embraces and responds quickly to customer need and market changes. The LDPS
cannot respond fully to these challenges in its current form.
The main issues that the LDPS currently experiences, through being an in-house
service are:
• It is unable to deliver services that are paid for using direct payments. 2
• Its ability to invest in existing properties and source new accommodation in
a timely fashion is restricted.
• It is unable to attract new business other than from the County Council.
• There is inflexibility in staff terms and conditions.
2 Department of Health, A Guide to Receiving Direct Payments From Your Local Council: A Route to
Independent Living, 2009, p16: Question: “Can I purchase services from my local council “
Answer: “You cannot buy services from your local council as it is not allowed to sell its services in this way.”
A - 11