Our key aims

How we will achieve this aim

We will achieve this aim by:

• Paying providers a fair rate that will deliver the quality of service specified within the contract and service specification
• Clarity of commissioning intent shared with providers to enable them to plan
• Information about current and future demand modelling made available to providers
• Robust information about current and future needs and the services required to meet them
• Developing more ways of delivering personalised support options such as direct payments and individual service funds, giving people more choice and control over how their care is delivered. As part of this we will engage with a national programme called small supports to find more innovative ways to deliver services to those people with a learning disability and/or autism. This will involve identifying local based champions who could be supported and enabled to deliver services within their local communities.

What we achieved in 2022

• During 2022-2023 we implemented the previous year's cost of care review that was undertaken for providers of older adult care homes which significantly increased the fee rates we paid
• In partnership with older adult care homes and over 18 year old domiciliary care providers, we undertook thenational fair cost of care exercise during 2022-2023, to gain a better understanding of the actual costs of delivering care in Norfolk for these sectors
• We updated the pre-Covid-19 demand modelling for older adult care home provision and have looked at this at a locality level to inform our commissioning intentions and support provider business planning. Learn more about older adult care on the older people accommodation based support webpage. 
• We undertook some open book accounting reviews for providers who had highlighted concerns around their financial viability

Challenges in achieving this aim

Insufficient care quality commission (CQC)capacity to undertake timely reviews of providers who are demonstrating significant quality improvements. QCQ focus is on providers who are poorly performing so we will need to use Provider assessment and market management solution (PAMMS) inspections as the measure of improvement.

How we will measure that we have achieved this aim

• New co-produced service models that deliver better, person centred outcomes for local people
• Evidence of integrated commissioning underpinned by joint commissioning strategies and joint service specifications
• We expect to see an increase in people choosing to access different ways to organise their care and support needs
• We will have better data sets indicating our population needs to inform commissioning intentions around housing, types of care and more personalised support options
• More people are supported to live in independent settings
• Ensuring that our revised usual rates are regularly reviewed and that they reflect the actual costs of delivery in different areas of Norfolk
• Providers report that the fee rates paid are fair and reasonable, whilst representing best value for health and social care commissioners
• Providers report that they have sufficient information to enable them to plan

Impact

People will tell us:

• "I have a choice of good quality support options available to me that will meet my needs"

Providers will tell us:

• "I am paid a fair rate to deliver good quality care and my business is financially secure"
• "I am clear about what the Council wants to commission, meaning that I can plan"