Decisions

The County Council is committed to giving customers choice and control over their support services; one method of enabling this is through Direct Payments, where the customer receives a cash allocation to spend in an agreed way which will meet their assessed care needs. Direct Payment Support Services are a statutory requirement to ensure that people can receive the appropriate advice and support to make the best use of their money. It also supports the County Council to ensure that Direct Payments are used lawfully and effectively.  

The contract for the current service, extended in November 2023 (Key Decision OKD35_23_24), comes to an end on 13th February 2026. A consultation and coproduction project will be occurring across summer 2024 to identify, appraise options for and propose a model of delivery for the future of these services. The County Council intends to seek agreement from the Cabinet Member for Adults Services to carry out the proposed option to meet this statutory requirement from February 2026. 

The Cabinet Member for Adults Services has approved;

(1)the procurement of a new contract to provide Direct Payment Support Services from 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2031, at a maximum price of £0.350M per annum for an initial five (5) year period with the ability to choose to extend by up to twenty-four (24) months or two separate one-year (12 month) periods, and

(2)the delegation of authority for contract award, arising from this procurement process, described in Section 2 and the budget described in section 5 of the report, to the Executive Director of Adults & Health.

The Director of Adults and Health will be asked to approve the direct award of six Housing Related Support contracts in West Sussex. These are the ‘Pathways Home’ services which are co-funded with our District and Borough partners. The new contracts will have an initial term of twelve months with the option to extend for up to a further twelve months and will commence on 1st April 2025.

All six contracts provide support to those who are experiencing or threatened with homelessness. Two of the services are delivered in an accommodation based setting whereas the other four services are delivered on a floating support basis.

The services assist the council in meeting its statutory duties and some of the specific outcome priorities as detailed in the West Sussex Our Council Plan.

These are:

•        Keeping people safe from vulnerable situations.

•        A sustainable and prosperous economy.

•        Helping people and communities to fulfil their potential.

•        Making the best use of resources

The Executive Director of Adults and Health has approved the direct award of six Housing Related Support contracts to the incumbent providers, with a contract start date of 1^st April 2025. The initial term of each contract will be twelve months with the option to extend for up to a further twelve months. The maximum contract term for each contract is two years and the maximum contract price for all the contracts is £1,504,430.

The County Council received an application from Steyning Parish Council for a new traffic regulation order (TRO) for a speed limit reduction from the existing National Speed limit to proposed new 50mph and 40mph speed limits on various sections of the A283.

The proposed new 50mph speed limit would extend 200m east from the junction of the B2135 southward for approximately 1700m where a 40mph would be introduced southwards to join up with the existing 40mph restriction near High Trees Roundabout.

The proposals were advertised between 23 Jan 2025 and 13 Feb 2025. Nineteen objections to the proposed scheme were received which have been summarised and responded to in Appendix B to this report. Thirty comments of support were received.

Sussex Police and the local member for Bramber Castle Cllr Paul Linehan have reviewed comments following public advertisement and have expressed no objection to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to be implemented as advertised.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, having considered the objections to the proposals, authorises the Director of Law and Assurance to make the Traffic Regulation Order as advertised and for the restrictions (as set out in section 2 of the report) to be implemented.

A new residential development is being constructed on land west of Sompting Avenue in Sompting.  The main access to the development will be via a new road linking to West Street, but a secondary access will also join the southern end of Loose Lane.

To maintain safety and encourage vehicles to use the main access road, a system of traffic calming has been designed for Loose Lane; this is a requirement of the planning consent.

During the statutory consultation for the required Traffic Regulation Orders, objections to the proposal were received from Sompting Parish Council and five members of the public.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, having considered the objections to the proposals, authorises the Director of Law and Assurance to make the Traffic Regulation Order as advertised and for the restrictions (as set out in section 2 of the report) to be implemented.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) as a partner of the Integrated Care System (ICS) works with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and wider health and social care system partners to ensure sufficient provision is available to support people to be discharged out of hospital returning to their own homes where possible. Where people are able to go home from hospital but require support to do so they can return home with services provided through ‘Home First’.

The Council has commissioned Hospital Discharge Care contracts since 2020 to deliver care and support alongside Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust to people being discharged from hospital as part of the Home First offer. The current contractual arrangements expire on 31 March 2025.

A decision was taken on 08 August 2024 (Ref: Key Decision AS3 24/25)  to commence a procurement of the Hospital Discharge Care Services with the award of contracts to be delegated to the Director of Adults and Health.  This subsequent decision to be taken following the completion of the procurement exercise will be a requirement for the Director of Adults and Health to award the Hospital Discharge Care Contracts with new contracts expected to commence on 1 April 2025.

The Executive Director of Adults and Health has approved;

(1)  the award Hospital Discharge Care contracts in North and Coastal South geographical lots for an initial period of three years from 16June 2025 to 15 June 2028 with the option to extend for a further period or period(s) of up to two years until 15 June 2030. The total block hours will cost £1.2m per annum and additional ‘buffer’ hours up to a maximum of £1.5m per annum, only to be purchased as required and subject to additional funding being available and agreed;

(2)  the extension of the current Hospital Discharge Care contracts in North and Coastal South from 1 April 2025 to 15 June 2025 at an estimated total cost of £330k to ensure continuous service delivery whilst the new contracts mobilise; and

(3)  the extension of Extend Assist Care Ltd and Gozone Ltd current service provision covering geographical areas broadly included within Coastal West and Central lots for up to twelve months in three monthly increments to a maximum term ending by 31 March 2026 at a total block hour cost of £580k and additional ‘buffer’ hours up to a maximum of £1.5m per annum, only to be purchased as required and subject to additional funding being available and agreed.

Rates and fees paid to independent providers of adult social care provision in the community and in accommodation based services are subject to annual review. The review will consider usual maximum rates for care homes and care homes with nursing; individually agreed rates paid to care homes and care homes with nursing and rates for supported living, shared lives; extra care and other community-based services.

Decisions on fees to be paid in the financial year 2025-26 will take account of a range of information, including but not limited to; recent decisions on National Living Wage, the current market position, the need and demand for services, the Council’s strategic priorities, financial challenges for providers of care and support services and the financial position for the Council and the adult social care budget.  During 2024 commissioners have engaged with representatives of the adult social care market to reflect feedback on the challenges for the market in preparation for the review of fees. 

The Director of Adults and Health will be asked to agree the fees and rates paid for commissioned services related to adult social care and health for 2025-26.

The Executive Director of Adults and Health has approved the 25/26 fee increases to independent sector providers in line with the proposals set out in section 2 of this report.