The Health and Adults Care Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to discuss the strategic direction of commissioning within the council and the work undertaken by the council in relation to commissioning and contracting for adult social care. The meeting was also set to review the terms of reference for the panel's deep dive into this subject.

The Strategic Direction of Commissioning

The panel was scheduled to hear from Councillor Lily Bath, Steven Forbes, and Martin Waddington regarding the strategic direction of commissioning within the council. This discussion was intended to provide an overview of the council's approach to commissioning services.

Commissioning and Contracting Work

James Hearn, Senior Joint Commissioning Manager, was scheduled to provide an outline of the commissioning and contracting work carried out by the council. This would have included an overview of the services commissioned, such as home care, extra care and supported housing, supported living, care home services, and carer support services. The report pack indicated that the council commissions over 16,000 hours of home care each week for approximately 1,200 clients.

Panel Deep Dive Terms of Reference

The panel was scheduled to review the terms of reference for its deep dive into commissioning and contract management for adult social care staff and providers. This deep dive, running from 8 July 2024 to 11 March 2025, aims to understand the current market position, how contracts are managed and monitored, and how the quality of commissioned services is scrutinised. The main areas of investigation were set to include:

• The commissioning approach taken at the London Borough of Hounslow.
• How the council awards Adult Social Care contracts.
• How these contracts are managed and monitored, and what metrics are used.
• The impact of current staffing levels in certain providers on contractual obligations.
• Mechanisms to ensure providers deliver adequate services to residents.

The panel was expected to make recommendations on ways the council might manage its commissioning and monitoring of Adult Social Care contracts.

Previous Meeting Notes

The agenda included the notes from an informal meeting held on 8 July 2024. During that meeting, the panel discussed the process for their deep dive and selected Commissioning and contract management for adult social care staff and providers as the topic for consideration. The problem statement for that discussion included questions about tendering processes, contract awards, scoring and valuation, provider value, monitoring, the role of the VCSE sector, staff training, and the impact of staffing on commissioning. The desired outcome was to ensure good value for residents and that their needs are met.

The panel was also scheduled to discuss next steps, potential visits, and the review of good practice.