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Market Vision

Market Vision:​

Our key strategy for Residential and Nursing Care are:​

  • ECC strategy is to support Adults to remain at home within their community, with their maximum level of independence sustained for as long as possible.​
  • Ensure there is the appropriate level of capacity to support adults that require complex support, building on the work being undertaken to better understand the scale and nature of increasing complexity of need.​
  • Increased collaborative discharges for adults entering short term residential or nursing placements from hospital, ensuring we support people to return to their long-term homes as soon as they are able.​
  • Improved collaborative approach with Health for adults entering into a residential or nursing placement on the Continuing Health Care Pathway.​
  • Management of increased volumes into residential and nursing care as a result of the implementation of Social Care Reform.​
  • To ensure our most valued care homes remains sustainable.​
  • To upskill our carer workforce to manage demand for complex care or nursing care and to work to increase carer levels across Essex. (ECC has a Workforce Strategy across Adult Social Care that aims to upskill, retain and support recruitment of direct care workers in Essex.)​
  • To improve market oversight through the utilisation of technology​
  • To ensure that there is a robust enhancement tool for providers for complex adults.​
  • To review the rates for packages of care that are out of county. (Essex has between 300-400 adults placed out of county.)​

 The council will look to follow these principles within our residential and nursing contracts:​

  • Our preference is to commission packages with outstanding and good providers.​
  • To commission services through our contracted providers, investing in strategic providers.​

 

1 Year Delivery Plan by end 2024​

Description:​

For the next 12 months, ECC plan to ensure that our residential market is sustainable and continues to work in collaboration to  shape our residential market across Essex. The IRN Contract is in place until 2025, however work will commence to shape our future contract in alignment with the Market Shaping Strategy and the planning implementation of the Social Care Reform.​

Key Milestones:​

  • Coordinate and implement Year 4 Annual Refresh of IRN for April 2024, including consideration of how we can better commission a response for complexity. ​
  • Initiate discussions with our residential market on the impact of the Social Care Reform. ​
  • Initiate discussions on our market shaping strategy and the future contractual mechanisms for our future IRN Contract. ​
  • Work with the market to continue to increase our workforce in the residential sector and ascertain a longer-term plan to increase supply and skills set of our workforce.​

3 Year Delivery Plan by end of 2027​

Description:​

By 2025, a new IRN Contract will be in place which will continue to align with our Market Shaping Strategy and the necessary changes as a result of the Social Care Reform. ​

Key Milestones:​

  • Work with our strategic providers to increase the use of digital social care records, Essex Care Search and improve existing pathways in sourcing or managing packages of care. ​
  • Implement new ways of working as a result of the implementation of the Social Care Reform and ensure our residential market are prepared and have clarity on new expectations for their business. ​
  • The new integrated residential and nursing contract will be in place for residential care homes incorporating a response to increased complexity of need.​
  • Secure increase in provision in West and resizing of residential capacity in North Essex.​

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7 Year Delivery Plan by end of 2030​

Description:​

By 2030 a much more integrated model will be in place, bringing together community-based NHS services, care home provision and out-reach support into people's homes. This will be coordinated with the neighbourhood teams.​

Key Milestones:​

  • 2028-29 project to review the IRN contract will be in place​
  • 2025-28 engagement with providers across the care sector and NHS to develop relationships. ​

Capacity and demand management

  • To manage supply and demand within our residential market
  • To evolve supply to increase provision to manage complex care needs.  

Delivering good quality services 

  • To utilise providers that have good or outstanding CQC ratings across Essex. 
  • To support providers with poor quality to exit the market if there is over supply within the area or support providers where a need of supply is necessary. 

Technology capability 

  • Digital Social Care Records; increase use of a digital social care record to manage the support plan of the Adult.  
  • Essex Care Search; the continued use of Essex Care Search to manage the booking of residential placements across Essex. 
  • Technology Enabled Care 

Promoting Financial Sustainability

  • Consistent Yearly approach to uplifting rates within our IRN Framework that works towards the Fair Cost of Care and Market Shaping Strategy
Last updated: 17/08/2023
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