Northamptonshire County Council Home Care Services

Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) is a large forward thinking local authority now inviting registered home care organisations to tender to become Lead Providers for Operational Zones across the county. The County Council spends over £18 million per year on home care. The service expanded by 15% in the past year and we expect continued growth. Home care services provide vital support to older people and younger adults with disabilities within Northamptonshire, helping people to build and maintain their independence, and to remain living in their own home.

The Council is moving forward with a new approach to better support people in their own homes and as part of these plans, will invest a further £1 million plus in home care in order to support providers in delivering this vital service. This £1 million plus is based on current home care volumes and represents a real increase to the sector.

The Council aims to award fifteen (15) home care services contracts over a four- year-contract term with an option to extend for one additional year (one for each of the geographic Operational Zones in Northamptonshire). The contracts will be awarded to Lead Providers, who will achieve 70-80% of the available volume of home care in each Operational Zone. Providers may tender for as few/many Lots or Operational Zones within this tender process that they chose, however, the number of Operational Zones awarded to any single Provider will be limited. Providers will ensure sufficient staffing levels and will be expected to accept all referrals in their Operational Zones. Home care Providers currently operating under the NCC Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) will continue in a secondary role in each Operational Zone.

Successful Lead Providers will form a cohort of strategic Providers with the Council to ensure that good quality, easy to access, and speedily available provision will be put in place. The strengthened NCC brokerage service will work with Lead Providers to help people easily and quickly source home care services.

Providers are encouraged and invited to tender to become a Lead Provider of the Authority. The Council is inviting Providers to tender for Operational Zones within a pre-set fixed Payment Rate.

In order to apply, please log on the LGSS eSourcing Portal (https://procontract.due-north.com/). The Project reference is DN288036. All relevant documentation is available on the portal. The deadline for responding to the SQ (Selection Questionnaire) is 12 Noon on Monday 21st August 2017.