Messages to care providers

Quality

At least 85% of services commissioned will be rated 'good' or 'outstanding'. We are seeking a sustained improvement towards this by 2024 and delivery by 2026.

Learning disability and autism

We want all services that provide specialist services to people with a learning disability and/or autism to align with the care quality commission's (CQC) regulatory requirements of 'right support, right care, right culture'. Learn more about 'right support, right care, right culture' on the CQC website.

Domestic abuse - Support in safe accommodation

The Needs Assessment evidenced that in Norfolk we need more support to be provided in safe accommodation. You can download the 'Domestic abuse needs assessment for Norfolk' (PDF) from the Norfolk Insight website.

By using New Burdens Funding, we have increased the amount of accommodation in which support can be provided and in addition, the new accommodation can be used flexibly to support any adult, not only women. This has been achieved using New Burdens Funding and working with our key partners who are members of the Norfolk Domestic Abuse Partnership Board (NDAPB).

Download our support in safe accommodation strategy for more information (PDF) [457KB].

Complex care

As people live longer, we want to work with providers, the Norfolk and Waveney integrated care board (ICB) and health trusts to develop affordable, high quality, residential and nursing provision that can care for people with complex needs and comorbidities, including advanced dementia.

For working age adults, and those with primary needs around learning disability, autism and mental health, we need to develop more individualised responses to people's needs to enable them to live in their own home, within their own community.

Let's get digital

We will continue to work with partner organisations to access funding and help drive forward the digital transformation of the care sector. This also includes how people in receipt of care and support can benefit from assistive technology in their home. For example, we have introduced the Alcove video care-phones to provide welfare checks and medication prompts, as part of a blended package of care alongside face-to-face visits by a care worker.

Care at home

Home first is a key priority, and we need to ensure that the home support market has the staff needed with the capability to support people to be independent, resilient, and well.

Informed by the engagement and market research undertaken, we will be implementing a prime provider model in Norfolk. The procurement process will commence in July 2023 and details will be published via the intend portal website.

Care for working age adults and those specifically delivering care to people with a learning disability and/or autism, will have to align to the new regulatory framework from CQC, particularly in regard to the training element.

Voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

Through our connecting communities programme, we want to unlock the potential and opportunity of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups in supporting the care market and supporting people's needs at the right time.

We recognise the impact that social isolation and loneliness has on people's health and wellbeing and we will continue to fund services that seek to address this.

Housing

For people over the age of 55 years old, we are investing in independent living housing and existing housing with care schemes to develop greater choices for older people to live independently in addition to residential care home provision.

We have an ambitious programme to develop 181 units of supported living for working age adults by 2024 and want to work with providers interested in moving into this space.

Mental health and learning disability providers who are interested in knowing more about this programme can email the commissioning team at LDCommissioning@norfolk.gov.uk.

Services for adults with mental ill-health conditions

We want to support more provision of recovery focussed residential care and for tenancy and community based mental health support for adults of working age with mental ill-health.

Day services for adults with disabilities

We will transform our current day services offer with a more targeted approach, working with providers to build on people's strengths and assets, enabling people, where appropriate, to move into employment and training opportunities.

We want providers to be actively working with service users to promote their independence and interaction with their local community and providing more bespoke care to people with learning disabilities who have complex care and support needs.

We want to ensure that people who want to work are given every opportunity to do so. We want day services that can support people to become work ready.

Maximising the benefits of equipment in care delivery

Along with Suffolk County Council and the ICB, we have awarded a new contract to Medequip to provide the integrated community equipment service (ICES). This new partnership will continue to ensure the effectiveness of equipment in keeping people independent, resilient, and well, seeking to innovate to adapt to changing needs.