Decision details

WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF DECISION

Notice is hereby given that the Cabinet Member for Adults & Public Health,has made the following executive decision on the above mentioned subject for the reasons set out below.

Summary of Decision

1.         That the direct award of contracts to Central London Community Health Trust for Section 75 services in Learning Disability Teams for three years from 1^st  January 2016 to 31^st December 2018 (with the option of two further annual extension), having a total contract value of approximately £5,477,900 (including two possible annual extensions valued at approximately £1,095,580 p.a), be agreed.

2.         That the similar recommendations for the Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Social Care for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Public Health for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea be noted.

Reasons for Decision

1.         The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster City Council currently have Section 75 agreements (under the National Health Services Act 2006) whereby they purchase health services from CLCH. These are namely the health staff within the Adult Social Care Integrated Learning Disability Teams across the three boroughs. The costs for these services are met by the Clinical Commissioning Groups in each of the three boroughs via their Section 75 Agreement contribution.   

2.         The health staff (which includes Learning Disability Nurses, Physiotherapists, and Speech and Language Therapists) are managed by the three Heads of Service for Learning Disabilities within Adult Social Care Integrated Learning Disability Teams. They contribute towards the outcomes of the Learning Disability Teams by improving the health and well-being of those with learning disabilities in each of the three boroughs.

3.         The Clinical Commissioning Groups and local authorities jointly commission the integrated learning disability teams via the Section 75 Agreement. The local authority are the lead commissioner and therefore need to hold a contract with to CLCH for the provision of the health staff element within these teams. The appointment of CLCH as the contractor is a choice of the Clinical Commissioning Groups under the National Health Services Act 2006. There is a very limited choice in terms of NHS organisations who can provide specialist learning disability nurses in these numbers and in fact CLCH are the only organisation who can currently do this across the three boroughs.  

Charlie Parker, Chief Executive,

Westminster City Hall,

64 Victoria Street

LONDON  SW1E 6QP