Opening a care home for adults with learning difficulties

The request was successful.

Dear Merton Borough Council,

Processes
1. Can you explain your commissioning process for private
residential adult care providers?
1. Do you operate an approved providers list of private residential
care providers?
2. If so, how many providers are currently on this list?
3. Is the list closed, and if yes for how long?
4. Do you operate competitive tendering when introducing new organisations in the councils procurement?
5. How can a private 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
6. Once a service is established how is this service promoted in the council
Current services in place

7. How many Adults with learning difficulties care homes does the council operate?
8. How many Adults with learning difficulties are placed in care homes that you operate?
9. How many Adults with learning difficulties are placed with private residential care
providers?
10. What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult with learning disabilities in a care
home you operate?
11. What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult in a private
care home including lowest and highest amount based on their needs?
12. What is the average size of the care homes you place adults
in (i.e. how many adults can they accommodate)?

13. What is the average distance adults are a placed from their
home?
14. Do you make more referrals to short stay residential placements or long term residential placements?
15. Last year what percent of adults with learning disabilities were placed in foster care in comparison to those placed in residential homes? What percent of those placed in residential homes were placed in privately run homes?
16. When an adult is referred do we have a contract for a set period of time?
17. How much do you charge private care homes per adult for emergency referrals (maximum and minimum prices) and how much notice is the home given before a adult is placed?
18. Is there more of a need for more short term placements or long term placements?
19. What is the process for local authorities when making a referral to a private care home?
20. Do local authorities negotiate or have set rate or prices based on an adults 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. What are the areas that local authorities feel need more service provision in?
24. What other services in the council refer adults to homes?
25. How long do adults stay in emergency short stay placements on average?

Yours faithfully,
Edwin

foi, Merton Borough Council

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If you have any queries or concerns then please contact the Freedom of
Information Officer at the London Borough of Merton, Civic Centre, London
Road, Morden SM4 5DX or e-mail [1][Merton Borough Council request email]

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
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Wycliffe House
Water Lane
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Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website : [2]www.ico.gov.uk

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References

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1. mailto:[Merton Borough Council request email]
2. http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Rosalind Girdlestone, Merton Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Edwin,

Freedom of Information Act 2000/ Environmental Information Regulations 2004-
Information request

 

We have now considered your request for information as set out below. 

 

You asked:

 

Processes

 

1.      Can you explain your commissioning process for private
residential adult care providers? We currently have 2 x block
contracts, which guarantees the Council a pre-determined number of
beds in the homes under the block contracts.

 

We commission all other private residential adult care providers on a
spot purchase basis. Homes where care is commissioned on a spot
purchase basis are subject to an approved provider process. As part of
the spot purchase approval process, providers are required to complete
a questionnaire, and to submit a range of other documents  including
details of its latest insurance certificate and schedule, audited
accounts which are assessed for compliance to the Council s criteria,
prior to inclusion on the approved provider list

 

2.      Do you operate an approved providers list of private
residential care providers?

Yes we do operate an approved list of private residential care
providers.

3.      If so, how many providers are currently on this list?

There are currently 324 homes on this list.

4.      Is the list closed, and if yes for how long?

The list is not closed.

5.      Do you operate competitive tendering when introducing new
organisations in the councils procurement?

Yes

6.      How can a private 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.

We are currently in the process of establishing an Adult Social Care
Brokerage Team, who will be the key contact for providers wishing to
introduce their service.  In the interim, please e-mail
[1][email address].

7.      Once a service is established how is this service promoted in
the council.

The Council makes it approved provider list available internally to
Council Officers responsible for the placement of customers.

Current services in place

8.      How many Adults with learning difficulties care homes does the
council operate?

2 homes

9.      How many Adults with learning difficulties are placed in care
homes that you operate?

15

10. How many Adults with learning difficulties are placed with
private residential care providers?

120 in permanent private residential and 4 in permanent private
nursing homes (@ March 2013)

11. What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult with learning
disabilities in a care home you operate?

Riverside Drive = £1551.30 per week, Meadowsweet  = £1429.60 per week

12. What is the average weekly cost of placing an adult in a private
care home including lowest and highest amount based on their needs?

Lowest = £345 per week

Highest = £5976.32 per week (full continuing care reclaimed from
Health)

13. What is the average size of the care homes you place adults in
(i.e. how many adults can they accommodate)?

Unfortunately we can not provide this information because locating and
retrieving it would exceed the time limit for requests, which is 18
hours (or £450) as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and
Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.  This is because this information
is not centrally recorded.  In accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 this is a Refusal Notice.   The information
requested is exempt under Section 12 of the Act, which is that the
cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit.  Please contact me
if you would like some advice on refining your request so that it can
be answered within the cost/ time limit.

 

14. What is the average distance adults are a placed from their home?

Unfortunately we can not provide this information because locating and
retrieving it would exceed the time limit for requests, which is 18
hours (or £450) as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and
Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004.  This is because this information
is not centrally recorded.  In accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 this is a Refusal Notice.   The information
requested is exempt under Section 12 of the Act, which is that the
cost of compliance exceeds the appropriate limit.  Please contact me
if you would like some advice on refining your request so that it can
be answered within the cost/ time limit.

 

15. Do you make more referrals to short stay residential placements
or long term residential placements?

Short stay

16. Last year what percent of adults with learning disabilities were
placed in foster care in comparison to those placed in residential
homes?  What percent of those placed in residential homes were placed
in privately run homes?

Adults with learning disabilities are not placed in foster care.

17. When an adult is referred do we have a contract for a set period
of time?

The spot purchase contracts do not have any definitive end date, with
the customer remaining in the home as long as all relevant parties (ie
the home, council and customer) agree to.

18. How much do you charge private care homes per adult for emergency
referrals (maximum and minimum prices) and how much notice is the home
given before a adult is placed?

The cost for emergency referrals is the same as our non-emergency
costs.  For older people these are £423.10 - £453.10 for residential
care and £555.46 £585.46 for nursing care.  Placements for Learning
Disabilities are calculated using a specific tool.  The amount of
notice given for each emergency placement, is dependant on the
individual case.

19. Is there more of a need for more short term placements or long
term placements?

The majority of the care homes we currently use offer both short and
long term placements.  The Council are unable to estimate the numbers
needed as this depends on the individuals assessed needs.

20. What is the process for local authorities when making a referral
to a private care home?

Please see response to question 1 & 20.

21. Do local authorities negotiate or have set rate or prices based
on an adults needs?

The Council has a threshold of rates that it can negotiate between.

22. Do rates vary depending on need/ behavioural problems?

The rates depend on each Customers assessed need.

23. Once established as a provider how will the organisation be
promoted within the council?

Please see the response to question 6.

24. What are the areas that local authorities feel need more service
provision in?

The Council believes more service provision is required around
preventative work.

25. What other services in the council refer adults to homes?

There are 2 teams that refer adults to homes, they are the
Commissioning team and Access and Assessment (social work teams).

26. How long do adults stay in emergency short stay placements on
average?

Unfortunately we can not provide this information because this
information might not be held and if it is, locating and retrieving it
would exceed the time limit for requests, which is 18 hours (or £450)
as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit)
Regulations 2004.  This is because our adult monitoring system does
not identify if a placement is specifically for an emergency short
stay.  This could be held on clients' case files, but it might not
necessarily be recorded, and each case file would need to be checked
individually.  In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000
this is a Refusal Notice.   The information requested is exempt under
Section 12 of the Act, which is that the cost of compliance exceeds
the appropriate limit.  Please contact me if you would like some
advice on refining your request so that it can be answered within the
cost/ time limit.

 

If you have any queries or concerns about this please contact me.

 

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request please
contact Karin Lane, the Head of Information Governance at Merton
Council, Civic Centre, Morden, SM4 5DX or e-mail [2][Merton Borough Council request email].

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or
complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner
at:

 

The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone: 0303 123 1113, website:
[3]www.ico.gov.uk.

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Yours sincerely

David Slark

Procurement & Contracts Compliance Manager

 
 

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References

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1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Merton Borough Council request email]
3. http://www.ico.gov.uk/