The Provider Charter

This Provider Charter sets out our joint commitments to the partnership and gives overarching details of how we will work with you. Full details of the service to be delivered and contractual requirements are contained within your call-off contract.

Our overarching mission for the Care Home Framework is to provide: Consistency, Predictability, Stability and Collaboration (Co-production) to achieve optimal outcomes for the individuals, providers and the Local Authority.

Below, we set out our commitment to you under these key themes.

Consistency

  • We will always work within Hampshire County Council policies, procedures and overarching legislation.
  • We will support your service through consistent sharing of information relevant to your service.
  • We will provide clear contact information for queries through a dedicated microsite.
  • We aim to ensure payments will be made in a consistent and timely manner in line with the contractual agreement.

Predictability

  • We will maintain dedicated pathways for your enquiries and inform you of the response times for your queries.
  • We will inform you of the escalation routes should your query not be resolved.
  • We will inform you about any new residential and nursing services the County Council may wish to procure in the future.

Stability

  • We will support you to maintain your service through regular opportunities to engage with the County Council’s Older Adults Commissioning Team.
  • We will pay you at your contracted rate throughout the lifetime of your contract.
  • We will review and uplift these rates on an annual basis.

Collaboration (Co-production)

  • We will aim to work in partnership with you and the NHS to develop and offer bespoke training.
  • We will seek your feedback and build this into future service planning.

Framework partners commitments

As a Framework partner you commit to working collaboratively with Hampshire County Council to achieve delivery of safe and appropriate long-term care and support for the residents of Hampshire.

Consistency

  • You will ensure that residential and nursing home residents are supported through individualised, person-centred care.
  • You will support people to minimise or reverse their risk of decline in their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
  • You will proactively manage nutrition, hydration, falls prevention and continence.
  • You will adopt a ‘doing with’ rather than a ‘doing to’ approach in line with Live Longer Better principles.
  • You will use a strengths-based approach when working with individuals.
  • You will ensure your workforce undertake mandatory and relevant training to maintain competencies, helping staff to develop their professional practice.
  • You will monitor performance ensuring that managers, staff and the organisations you work with are able to deliver the best outcomes possible for individuals.

Predictability

  • You will support individuals with future life planning through access to and interaction with staff and stakeholders who have the appropriate skills and expertise to undertake this activity as and when appropriate.
  • You will support individuals to make their own decisions safely.

Stability

  • You will support individuals who are living in a residential or nursing care home to live a dignified, happy, meaningful and safe life through maintaining or relearning their life skills as appropriate.
  • Being empowered to make the care choices that best meet their needs and aspirations.
  • Having fewer and less intrusive interventions in their care journey.
  • Using a positive behaviour support approach when someone may have behaviours that challenge.

Collaboration (Co-production)

  • You will contribute to the development and transformation of the services commissioned by Hampshire County Council.
  • You will work in partnership with the NHS and other partners where appropriate.
  • You will make sure that contact details are kept updated to enable County Council staff and partners to work with you.
  • You will work collaboratively with the individual, their family and community, drawing on skills, abilities and networks to maintain or progress towards independence.

What Providers can expect from Hampshire County Council

Hampshire County Council will:

  • place individuals using the Choice of Accommodation process and Referral Decision-making process
  • pay you up front for those individuals funded by Hampshire County Council who are using your services
  • ensure you receive an uplift each year in line with your contractual agreement

When responding to your enquiries:

  • the Contact, Assessment and Resolution Team (CART) will ensure your enquiry is sent to the relevant team within one working day to be dealt with
  • the relevant team will then follow up with you. You can contact CART via the professional referral form
  • Adult Services Contracts [email protected] enquiries will be responded to within five working days
  • the Adult’s Provider Payments (APP) Team contacted via [email protected] will respond within seven working days
  • the Brokerage Team, contactable via [email protected] will respond to your query within five working days
  • the Paying for Care and Customer Financial Management Team do not have timescales for responses, queries are prioritised by the complexity of the issue to be addressed
  • escalation processes for teams are contained within the information pack

What Hampshire County Council expects from Providers

As a Framework provider who has been successfully appointed to the Hampshire County Council’s Care Home Framework to deliver long-term residential and nursing care you have also committed to delivering services in line with the Service Specification. The County Council will monitor your performance against the Service Specification including that you will:

  • respond to referrals within 24 hours
  • assess individuals referred to your service within three working days
  • admit those accepted to your service within 72 hours from assessment
  • update the vacancy tracker at least once a week, or sooner if a vacancy arises
  • complete initial care plans within 24 hours of an individual’s admission to your home
  • notify the County Council of hospital admissions by phone immediately and in writing via the professional referral form within 48 hours
  • accept individuals back to your home following a hospital admission within 48 hours of the individual being confirmed as fit for discharge
  • work in accordance with physical activity guidelines as outlined in the specification
  • provide and maintain equipment needed to meet an individual’s care needs
  • accept capital depleters, non-eligible Continuing Health Care (CHC) individuals or other individuals who become eligible for financial support from the County Council at a rate in line with the rate bandings dependent on level of need