Commissioning and Brokerage Procedures

This procedure should be used:

1. By frontline practitioners working in social work teams and the Reablement service; when
2. Any Care and Support Plan/Support Plan/Reablement Plan/Urgent support has been signed off; to
3. Understand and use the range of local processes for arranging the required services and support; and
4. Work effectively alongside Strategic Commissioning and Market Management Team or the Care Connections Service.

Occupational Therapists should refer to the 'Meeting Needs' area of their service homepage for bespoke information about arranging equipment and adaptations.

Although this procedure may be helpful to those people based within Strategic Commissioning and Market Management Team or the Care Connections Service, it does not provide specific guidance about arranging, monitoring or reviewing contracts, or any other associated actions that may be required. Anyone carrying out such actions should refer to available local processes.

Cheshire West and Chester have an Integrated Brokerage Service, known as the Care Connections Service, who arrange all care and support. For older people and hospital discharge the Care Connections Service will arrange care at home and care home placements. For learning disabilities, mental health and transitions the Care Connections Service will arrange outreach, supported living and care home placements. These requests are made through the social care records system.

Cheshire West and Chester Council use E-Brokerage for all care and support requests. This system is used by the Care Connections Service. For larger commissioning the Dynamic Purchasing System will be used by Strategic Commissioners.

All referrals for care home placements should be sent to the Care Connections Service.

For Older People – there are two flexible respite beds available in Acorn Meadow Nursing Home (Residential EMI) and Lauren Court (Residential). The Care Connections Service will arrange stays in these beds following a Brokerage request. They will use E-Brokerage to secure these beds.

For Learning Disabilities – There are three respite services Dorin Court, Dover Drive and the Loont, these arrangements are made by the social work team.

For Mental Health – There are no planned mental health beds the needs for this type of respite would be reviewed by the social work team

Note: Before arranging respite make sure that the person has not exceeded the amount of respite set out in their Care and Support Plan.

All supported living placements should be arranged with our in-house provisions in the first instance. These are provided by Vivo Care Choices and Mental Health Provider Services.

All other supported living placements should be reviewed to consider any vacancies across the private sector in borough.

All requests thereafter should be made using the E-Brokerage System.

The following are Extra Care Sheltered Housing schemes in Cheshire West and Chester:

• Abbotswood, Chester - Retirement living for over 55's;
• Kingswood, Chester - Retirement living for over 55's;
• Deva Point, Chester - The Guinness Partnership, Extra care;
• Hartley Place, Ellesmere Port - Magenta Living, Extra Care Schemes;
• Hollymere Ellesmere Port Retirement Developments;
• The Windings, Helsby - Retirement living in Helsby;
• Hazelmere, Winsford - independent living for over 55's;
• Anderton Place, Northwich - The Guinness Partnership, Extra care;
• Hallwoord Court, Neston Hallwood Court - Care Choices.

For more information about the Extra Care housing in the borough, visit: Cheshire West and Chester Council, Extra care housing.

There is an eligibility criteria that must be met for all schemes.

Where criteria are met funding should be agreed prior to arranging any service.

Shared lives services are provided by Vivo Care Choices and further information can be found here Vivo Care Choices, Shared Lives.

Information on local day provision can be found through the live well website Live Well Cheshire West.

Reablement are a council operated service which aims to support people to regain skills of daily living and to live active healthy lives in their community through short term intervention which has a focus on rehabilitation. This is a time limited service which is designed to last no more than 6 weeks. The team is supported by the promoting independence service who focus on an Occupational Therapy first approach to meeting care and support needs, establishing equipment needs that may enable the person to regain their independence alongside a package of reablement care and support.

Before a person begins their period of reablement, they will receive an initial assessment to 

identify the level of support required and for how long. The service is free for this period and can be for up to six weeks. The service can be ended or adjusted at any point.

During the time reablement are involved, a person's progress is closely monitored and reviewed. If ongoing support is required following the period of reablement, support will be transferred to a home care provider that supports people in their own home on a longer-term basis.

Please be aware that the team are unable to provide time specific visits unless for medication or some aspects of personal care.

Further information about rapid care following being unwell can be found here: Cheshire West and Chester Council, Support after being unwell.

The HELP scheme is a discretionary scheme offering local welfare assistance including:

• Support for exceptional needs
• Limited payments for emergency funding in a crisis or;
• To help people moving out of care

To apply to the HELP scheme, please see: Apply to the HELP scheme.

Further information on help and support in Cheshire West due to the cost of living can be found here Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cost of living support.

The Carers Trust provide a network of support and link Carers to other local support services across the borough. The Carers Trust provides a helpline Monday – Friday 9-5 offering information, advice and emotional support to carers and professionals. They have monthly support groups for carers across the borough. They provide carers with training as required such as First Aid, and Moving and Handling. They have a benefits advice and support service and offer a weekly drop-in to Carers wanting support. They also have a Carers Personal Budget support offer that can be provided and a Carers Crisis Fund.

Resource Centres:

Northwich: 146 London Road, Northwich CW9 5HH

Ellesmere Port: Community Hub, 108-112 Whitby Road, Ellesmere Port CH65 0AB

Chester: The Bluecoat, Upper Northgate Street, Chester, CH1 4EE

Contact Details:

telephone: 0300 102 0008
e-mail: advice@cheshireandwarringtoncarers.org
website: www.cheshireandwarringtoncarers.org

For more information about services across the borough which support carers, visit: Cheshire West Carer Support.