Direct payments
Direct payments are key enablers of independent living, giving people choice and control over how they meet their assessed needs. We want more people to benefit from direct payments and to improve people's experience, and outcomes of using direct payments in H&F.
We expect all providers to ensure person-centred approaches so residents can self-direct support and have as much control over their services as possible.
H&F's Direct Payment Support Service is provided by Action on Disability who offer information, support and advice on all aspects of direct payments.
Prevention
Day Opportunities
We currently offer various building-based day opportunities for older adults, learning disabilities, mental health and autism across the borough.
Commissioning intentions: Maximise and diversify day opportunities making innovative use of spaces available to meet a range of need (including young people transitioning to adulthood, older people, dementia, learning disabilities, autism, and mental health).
We want services which are person centred, outcomes focused, promote independent living and address the needs of a diverse population – supporting residents to live and age well and thrive in their community.
Indicative timeline: Q2 2024/25
Advocacy
We commission statutory advocacy services for specific cohorts of adults as provided by legislation. We also commission community advocacy for those with mental health, disability or learning disability needs not covered under the statutory regime.
Commissioning intentions: In 2026/27 we will reprocure Advocacy Services.
We will explore consolidating statutory (including out of area Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Relevant Person Representative) and community advocacy services to maximise economies of scale, to deliver high-quality independent advocacy services to residents in a sustainable way.
Indicative timeline: 2026/27
Reablement
Home Care
We provide home care to residents who need support to remain at home. Current contracts are split across three geographical patches with a provider assigned to each one.
Commissioning intentions: We are committed to ensuring the delivery of high-quality services that are tailored to residents need and promote independent living.
We will seek to leverage innovative care models and efficient resource management without compromising the standard of care. We adopt a strengths-based approach to supporting residents to remain independent at home, supporting residents through reablement, ensuring support is proportionate, high-quality, outcomes focused and suits the needs of our diverse population.
Indicative timeline: 2027/28
Supported Living
A service that supports people with a range of support needs to retain their independence while still having that extra physical and emotional support needed to lead completely fulfilled lives in their own homes.
Commissioning intentions: In H&F we expect a growth in demand for supported living over the medium term linked to younger people ageing through into Adult Services.
We will seek to provide people with learning disabilities and mental health needs with a good quality home where they can exercise tenancy rights and responsibilities with flexible person-centred care and support that improves their health and wellbeing and builds their independence.
Explore alternatives to traditional residential care, including opportunities in artificial intelligence and other assistive technology, to enhance choice and control and reduce need for ongoing support.
We will be seeking providers which develop services based on the individual goals, interests and aspirations of supported living residents including providers who pursue strategic local relationships to develop a menu of day activity and support opportunities in the community.
Ensure continuous quality improvements in care provision by tailoring services to individual needs and supporting people to live independently in the community, while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
Indicative timeline: 2025/26
Floating Support
We currently offer this provision as a short-term service to support people to stay in their own homes.
Commissioning intentions: We will be seeking services which provide short term support to residents to enable people to remain living independently in their own home, to be included in their local community, and to progress to greater levels of independence through the provision of high quality, strengths-based support.
Future commissioning will include consideration across the breadth of needs including older people's services, learning disabilities, complex needs and mental health.
Indicative timeline: 2025/26
Complex care
Extra Care
We currently have four extra care schemes in the borough that offer semi-independent living for older people (55+).
Commissioning intentions: The aim for Extra Care in H&F is to provide services where tenants are supported to maximise their independence, maintain their health and wellbeing, and prevent the need for a move to more restrictive accommodation.
The council is keen to explore innovative approaches to supporting tenants in extra care settings where staff work with tenants in a strength-based way, and focus on building people's strengths, independence and resilience. Extra care should promote independent living.
Indicative timeline: 2026/27
Care Homes
We currently have four care homes for older people in borough offering permanent placements, short breaks or interim stepdown reablement. Two are nursing homes with block beds and two are used for spot purchase.
Commissioning intentions: We want to ensure a sufficient choice of short breaks and permanent nursing and residential care in the borough for those with complex needs so that every person who needs a placement is able to access a suitable local option of their/their family's choice. We want to ensure that placements are delivered in care homes that have at least a 'Good' rating from the Care Quality Commission.
We want to work with providers to drive up quality and safeguarding practices through clear standards and monitoring processes.
We are seeking providers that develop links with local communities to increase the choice of activities and social stimulation and those that engage in the use of technology enabled care to support independence and improve quality of life.
Our services should work in a person-centred way, tailored individually to meet the range of needs of our diverse population.
Indicative timeline: 2031