Decision details

Staffordshire County Council (the Council) supports nearly 3,000 people to manage their assessed eligible social care needs in a care home. The Council commissions these placements through a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to make individual placements. The Council intended to redesign and introduce a new arrangement with the marketplace by April 2023. The Council is currently undergoing engagement with and analysis of the care home market to meet the Government’s conditions of the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund. The conditions include establishing a Staffordshire Fair cost of care rate for older people’s care and to develop a Market Sustainability Plan. To allow for the outcome of the Fair Cost of Care exercise to support the redesign of the Council’s contracting arrangements it is recommended to further extend the current DPS to April 2024.