SC19 012 - Residential Care Home Services (Learning Disability, Physical Disability & Mental Health)...

Kent County Council (the Council) is the largest local authority in England covering an area of over 3,500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over £1bn on goods and services and a population of 1.48m. The Council provides a wide range of services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils, 289 parish/town councils and the NHS.

The Council is embarking on a journey to transform social care in Kent. Within the context of this opportunity, it is imperative that individuals are at the heart of the care and support they receive, which should be easy to access, of good quality and that maximise their ability to live independently and safely in their community. By working in new and innovative ways with our partners in the NHS and organisations in the care sector we will:
- focus on prevention and targeted interventions
- ensure that services respond rapidly and are more effective
- support care staff and empower individuals to do more for themselves

This Commissioning exercise will include Residential Care Home Services (Learning Disability, Physical Disability & Mental Health Needs), Supported Living Services, Discharge Support Services, and the Community Lunchtime Service. This process will also include the opportunity to bid for Care & Support in the Home Services (Homecare and Community-Based Supporting Independence Services), across limited areas of Kent.

This procurement has been divided into the following lots:

Lot 1 (LD, MH & PD Residential Care Home Services – Specialist & Specialist Plus) includes those individuals aged 18+ who have been assessed as requiring a residential care service, whose primary assessed need is in relation to a Learning Disability, Physical Disability, or Mental Health, and whose need level has been assessed as Specialist. Full details for this requirement can be found in the tender documents. The Council wishes to establish a Dynamic Purchasing System for these services.

Lot 2: (LD, MH & PD Residential Care Home Services – Mid and High Level Needs) includes those individuals aged 18+ who have been assessed as requiring a residential service, whose primary assessed need is in relation to a Learning Disability, Physical Disability, or Mental Health, and have been assessed as having mid to high level needs. Full details for this requirement can be found in the tender documents. The Council intends to enter into a Framework Agreement with selected providers for these services.

Lot 3 involves Supported Living Services. Supported living enables people to continue to live within their homes by receiving the support required to maintain their tenancies and remain as independent as possible. Full details for this requirement can be found in the tender documents.


Lot 4 (Discharge Support Services) incorporates the Discharge to Assess, Home to Decide and Home to Settle Services. The aim of the Discharge to Assess Service is to provide ‘wrap around’ support to people in their own homes for up to three days post discharge from hospital (with potential to extend for a further two days if the person’s outcomes will either negate the requirement for ongoing Service or reduce the need). Full details can for this requirement can be found in the tender documents.

Lot 5 – Care & Support in the Home (Community) - Following the previous (2018) Care & Support in the Home Services commissioning exercise, there will be the opportunity for tenderers to bid for particular areas of Kent, where there currently is capacity for additional Providers, in an attempt to strengthen the service. Full details of the geographical areas available during this process can be found in the tender documents.

Lot 6 – The Community Lunchtime Service encompasses an individuals’ preference of a Meal delivered to them in their own homes so that they may remain in the community environment, for longer than would otherwise have been possible. This service would be provided to individuals assessed as needing this meal delivery service by KCC. Full details can for this requirement can be found in the tender documents.

Providers should be aware that the Council is not proposing mass mobilisation of people from existing Providers to any new Service Providers (where applicable) who may be awarded a Contract as a result of this Procurement exercise. Instead, people will be mobilised on an individual basis where appropriate and agreed with the person and relevant Providers. New Providers to the Contracts will grow their presence over a transition period as they receive new referrals into the Service.

Responses to the ITT will be due by noon on 1st November 2019, with the contract awards anticipated to take place on the week commencing 9th March 2020. The contracts will commence in April 2020. The full proposed procurement timetable can be found in the tender documents.

Please note, this process is under the light touch regime established pursuant to Regulations 74-76 and Regulation 76(7) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 for the purposes of commissioning these services.

Please submit your tender documentation via the Kent Business Portal https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk .

Please see the Tender Documents for details of contract durations for each Lot.