Adult learning disabilities care homes

The request was partially successful.

Dear Lewisham Borough Council,

I would kindly request the following information (within the context of adult learning disabilities care homes) under the freedom of information act.

1 Can you explain your commissioning process for private learning disability residential care providers? 
2 Do you operate an approved providers list of private learning disability residential care providers? 
3 If so, can you provide a full list of private learning disability residential care providers you are using?
4 Is the list closed, and if yes for how long? 
5 Do you operate competitive tendering when introducing new organisations in the councils procurement? 
6 How can a private learning disability residential care home provider approach the council when wishing to introduce their service? Who should be approached within the council to discuss referrals , rates and commissioning ?
7 Once a service is established how is this service promoted in the council 
8 How many adults with learning disability care homes does the council operate? 
9 How many adults with learning disability are placed in care homes that you operate? 
10 What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult with learning disability in a care home you operate? 
11 What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult in a private learning disability care home including lowest and highest amount based on their needs? 
12 What is the average size of the learning disability care homes that you place adults in (i.e. how many adults can they accommodate)? 
13 What is the average distance adults with learning disability are a placed from their home? 
14 Do you make more referrals to short stay learning disability residential placements or long term learning disability residential placements? 
15 Is there more of a need for more learning disability short term placements or long term placements? 
16 What percent of those placed in learning disability residential homes were placed in privately run homes? 
17 When an adult with learning disability is referred, is the contract for a set period of time? 
18 What criteria does the council use when considering whether to renew the use of a learning disability residential care provider?
19 What is the process for local authorities when making a referral to a private learning disability care home? 
20 Do local authorities negotiate or have set rate or prices based on an adults learning disability needs? 
21 Do rates vary depending on need/ behavioural problems? 
22 Once established as a provider how will the organisation be promoted within the council? 
23 When an adult with learning disability is placed how does the council decide which home to place them in? 
24 What are the areas that local authorities feel need more service provision in? 
25 What qualifications and requirements are needed to become a private learning disability residential care home provider? 
26 Please provide a breakdown of the number of people placed into each private learning disability residential care provider and the weekly fees per adult according to need

I would like to thank you for your prompt action in processing this request.

Yours faithfully,

C. Zhao

Foi, Customer, Lewisham Borough Council

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Reference No: 447897

Thank you for your recent request for information from the London Borough of Lewisham. Your request is being handled under either the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

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Kind Regards,

Corporate Complaints and Casework Team

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Rahman, Davina, Lewisham Borough Council

Dear C.Zhao

 

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

 

Thank you for your request for information held by London Borough of
Lewisham. I have included below a copy of your request, followed by the
Council’s response

 

I would kindly request the following information (within the context of
adult learning disabilities care homes) under the freedom of information
act.

 

1Can you explain your commissioning process for private learning
disability residential care providers?  Spot purchase

 

2Do you operate an approved providers list of private learning disability
residential care providers?         No

 

3If so, can you provide a full list of private learning disability
residential care providers you are using?      N/A

 

4Is the list closed, and if yes for how long?   N/A

 

5Do you operate competitive tendering when introducing new organisations
in the councils procurement?  The Council operates Framework Agreements
for Learning Disability services. Providers have been awarded a place  on
the Framework Agreement through competitive tendering. Services are then
awarded  to providers on the Framework Agreement though a further process
of competitive tendering. However, the use of Framework Agreements does
not preclude the Council commissioning services from providers outside the
Framework through spot purchasing.

 

6How can a private learning disability residential care home provider
approach the council when wishing to introduce their service? Who should
be approached within the council to discuss referrals , rates and
commissioning ?    Generally by email or by post. Information to be sent
to Tom Bird, Joint Commissioner ([1][email address]) or Linda
Smith, Operational Lead AWLD & Transitions
([2][email address])

 

7Once a service is established how is this service promoted in the
council   The Council does not promote any particular service or provider
but would circulate information received from providers to the relevant
social work team managers.

 

8How many adults with learning disability care homes does the council
operate?  None

 

9How many adults with learning disability are placed in care homes that
you operate?  N/A

 

10What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult with learning
disability in a care home you operate?  N/A

 

11What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult in a private
learning disability care home including lowest and highest amount based on
their needs?   Average £1579.10 pw, Lowest £406 pw, Highest £3579 pw

 

12What is the average size of the learning disability care homes that you
place adults in (i.e. how many adults can they accommodate)?  Will vary.
The council’s preference is to place in small scale (maximum 6 beds) care
homes but placement is according to need and choice.

 

13What is the average distance adults with learning disability are a
placed from their home?  The Council’s preference is to place within the
borough or as close to the borough as possible but, as stated, placement
is according to need and choice and therefore distance from the person’s
home will vary.

 

14Do you make more referrals to short stay learning disability residential
placements or long term learning disability residential placements?  Long
term

 

15Is there more of a need for more learning disability short term
placements or long term placements?  Long term

 

16What percent of those placed in learning disability residential homes
were placed in privately run homes?   All residential placements are in
the private and voluntary sector

 

17When an adult with learning disability is referred, is the contract for
a set period of time?   Will depend on nature of placement but most are
long term

 

18What criteria does the council use when considering whether to renew the
use of a learning disability residential care provider?    Performance of
contract; delivery of outcomes; views of service users & their families;
social work review; any negative changes in CQC rating; costs etc.

 

19What is the process for local authorities when making a referral to a
private learning disability care home?  Usual process is for social worker
/ Operational Manager to contact the provider organisation to discuss
potential referral. If felt provider can support person being referred &
has an appropriate vacancy,  to then make a formal referral and provide
assessment information.

 

20Do local authorities negotiate or have set rate or prices based on an
adults learning disability needs?  Prices are negotiated on receipt of fee
breakdown submitted by provider

 

21Do rates vary depending on need/ behavioural problems?   There will be a
number of factors that determine fee rates but level of support required
to a person’s complex health or behavioural needs would be a significant
factor for cost of placement.

 

22Once established as a provider how will the organisation be promoted
within the council?  As stated above the Council does not promote any
individual service or provider. Relevant information is shared with social
work teams for consideration when placing.

 

23When an adult with learning disability is placed how does the council
decide which home to place them in?   A number of factors will be taken
into consideration:  service user & family choice; an assessment of the
provider’s ability to meet the service user’s needs; cost; locality; CQC
rating.

 

24What are the areas that local authorities feel need more service
provision in?    Services for young adults with complex physical &
behavioural support needs; older adults services specifically designed for
older adults with a learning disability

 

25What qualifications and requirements are needed to become a private
learning disability residential care home provider? The CQC can advise on
this. Please contact the directly. Please see following link to their
website:  [3]http://www.cqc.org.uk/

 

 

26Please provide a breakdown of the number of people placed into each
private learning disability residential care provider and the weekly fees
per adult according to need

Regarding the question outlined above, we confirm that the requested
information is not held.

 

We consider that the specific level of data you requested cannot be
retrieved by way of a reasonable search in the relevant electronic
database, we therefore, confirm that the requested information is not
held. The Information Commissioner’s Office offers guidance on determining
if information is held or not at the following link:

[4]http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

 

We consider that the requested information is not held because:

1.    The requested information is not held in the form of a list or
schedule;

2.    Compiling the requested information does not involve a simple manual
manipulation of information held in files;

3.    The requested information cannot be extracted from an electronic
database by searching it in the form of a query.

 

 

We hope you will find this information helpful.

 

You are free to use the information provided for your own purposes,
including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes
of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication,
requires the permission of the copyright holder. You may apply for
permission to re-use this information by submitting a request to
[5][email address]

 

You have a right of appeal against this response which you can exercise by
writing to: Information Governance – 1st floor Town Hall Chambers,
Catford, London. SE6 4RU. Or at: [6][email address]

 

This must be requested within 40 working days of the date of this
response.

 

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving this decision, you then also
have a further right of appeal, which you can make in writing, stating
your reasons to the regulating body, the Information Commissioner's
Office. Contact details are outlined below:

 

[7]https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

 

Telephone: 0303 123 1113.

 

Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Davina

Corporate Complaints

 

 

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