Decision details

To award the Care Market Representative contract to the Independent Care Group. This will be a contract term of 3 years + 2 years. This implements the earlier key decision taken on the 28 June 2024 which gave approval to procure a care market representative organisation to support the care market of North Yorkshire. The decision was made in consultation with Cllr Harrison executive Member Health and Adult Services, Anton Hodge AD Resources and Abi Barron AD Prevention and Service Development.

A Care Market Representative (CMR) organisation’s purpose is to collaborate with the wide range of adult social care providers and wider stakeholders supporting the people of North Yorkshire. It should encourage the development of the care industry across North Yorkshire and nationally, when appropriate.

It should represent the interests of all independent care providers, including voluntary sector providers, in North Yorkshire. Ensuring effective, objective representative consultation and feedback on all appropriate developments and issues affecting social care provision in North Yorkshire.

The current organisation is a membership organisation for partners and providers across the social care market in North Yorkshire and York. The purpose of the organisation is to keep members involved and informed across a whole range of quality, safety, finance, and business operating aspects. The organisation is engaged and contributes to local operational and system wide discussions. They are engaged on matters affecting the care market in North Yorkshire and represents the care market in negotiations around care fees.

Without a CMR, given the size of the Care Market in North Yorkshire, it would be difficult for the Council to effectively engage with the care market on such matters as service developments, market shaping and transformation, policy changes and market wide fee negotiations

The Council has a legal requirement under the Care Act to develop and implement local approaches to market-shaping and commissioning and having a Care Market Representative will assist the Council in meeting its obligations.

Not awarding the contract would mean Health and Adult Services would not have a care market representative to engage with on issues/matters relating to the care market in North Yorkshire. This will mean that the Council would have no consistent process for engaging with the whole care market on issues such as care fees and other cross market decisions.