Tender for the Provision of Shared Lives Services in Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to contract with an innovative Provider to deliver and expand the Shared Lives Service in Buckinghamshire. The Provider will take over the existing service and work with the Council to realise it’s growth ambitions to significantly increase the number of Live-In, Short Break and Day Support Arrangements available for Individuals over the next 5 -7 years. The Provider will implement a successful marketing strategy to recruit and train a pool of self-employed Carers who are able to deliver care and support services to Individuals with a wide range of social care and health needs who require varying intensities of support. The Provider should be able to demonstrate experience of managing a Shared Lives, supported lodgings or fostering service as well as strong partnership working with a Local Authority, particularly around service expansion. The Provider will aim to make Shared Lives the ‘ first choice’ for Social Care Workers, Individuals and their Families in Buckinghamshire when considering types of care and support for an Individual.

What is Shared Lives

Shared Lives enable Individuals, with assessed eligible social care and health needs, the opportunity to live and/ or to be supported in the households of carefully selected, trained and approved Carers. Together, the person needing support, and the Carer, share the Carer’s domestic, family and community life. The individuals will be supported and enabled by the Carer to achieve and maintain as much independence as possible and to live meaningful and fulfilling lives in line with their individual choices and ambitions. The Service supports a range of Individuals with varying levels of needs across a range of care cohorts including, but not limited to older people, people with mental health needs including dementia, those with a physical disability or sensory impairment, learning disabilities, autism, neurodivergences, care leavers, people recovering from addictions and people fleeing domestic violence.

The Council requires the delivery of the following types of Shared Lives services:

• Live-in: an Individual with support needs lives with a Carer and their family (this is sometimes referred to as “long term”).
• Short Break: an Individual stays with their chosen Carer on a regular basis, from one night to several weeks.
• Day Support: an Individual receives support from their Carer during the day. The Carer’s home is used as a base for community activities.

Contractual Conditions:

The Provider must be registered with the CQC for the regulated activity of personal care.

The Provider will maintain an annual membership to Shared Lives Plus for the Service and each Carer.

The contract is for 5 years with a 2-year extension option. The start date of the contract will be 1st October 2025.

TUPE may apply to this contract.