Market Position Statement 2024 - 2029

In Coventry we are proud of our robust and varied care market comprising a range of national, regional, and independent organisations alongside a comprehensive voluntary and third sector community. The Coventry care market is detailed as follows: Care providers (as at May 2024):

• 204 care services registered in Coventry
• 71 residential care homes, including 2 internally provided schemes
• 133 registered community providers
• One Shared Lives Scheme with 54 carers / families (across Coventry & Warwickshire)

Other services include:

• A total of 49 sheltered housing schemes across the city
• Coventry Integrated Community Equipment Services (ICES): loaning equipment to support people in their daily lives, subject to a social care assessment.
• Coventry TeleCare Line: sensors and alarms linked to the Council’s control centre, where trained assessors check an individual’s safety and take appropriate action where required. The service is subject to an ASC assessment.
• The Opal Assessment and Demonstration Centre for equipment and adaptations.
• Coventry and Warwickshire Autism Service (CASS): An all-age autism support service has been developed, providing community-based support across the Coventry and Warwickshire region addressing recognised need for a single point of access, at a time and a place, that suits people best.
• Change Grow Live (CGL) drug and alcohol service.
• Voluntary and third sector organisations, supporting individuals with hoarding, addiction, sensory issues, mental health, dementia, Alzheimer’s and more.
• Individuals can access support outside of commissioned provision including home support agencies and Personal Assistants using direct payments.

In respect of its contracted provision, as of March 2024 the Council commissions:

Short term commissioned services:

Commissioned support is divided into two areas, short term and long-term services. Short term services may be provided where individuals would benefit from a period of assessment to determine any future care and support needs or would benefit from a period of reablement focused support to build back independence, skills, and confidence to live independently, for example after a period of illness. This support is delivered for a period of up to six weeks. There are two pathways of support for short term support:

• Pathway One: Short Term Home Support to enable people to return from Hospital or remain at home, with care and support provided by a home care agency working in a reablement focused manner with additional input from other professionals e.g. physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and social workers, as required.
• Pathway Two: Where an individual cannot initially return home from Hospital or would benefit from reablement provided in another type of setting to maximise independence, with a view to returning home whenever possible. These settings include via Housing with Care short term placements, residential care, and dementia residential care.
• The number of people supported in short term services is noted below (figures as of 31 March 2024 – in city only)

*Additional spot purchasing as required.

Long term commissioned services:

Long term support is ongoing support with a range of accommodation-based and community delivered commissioned options available, for example residential or nursing care, Shared Lives, supported living, Housing with Care, day opportunities and home support. People also have an option to commission and arrange their own support via the use of a direct payment.

Self-directed support

Direct payments offer people additional choice and control over their care arrangements outside of contracted provision. The Council encourages the use of direct payments by individuals and commissions a specific service to support people in managing a direct payment, including support to recruit or employ a Personal Assistant (PA). Support is also available through 13 commissioned third sector providers via our Preventative Support Grant, alongside other non-commissioned voluntary, third sector and community services.

Out of city placements

In some instances, support is provided outside of the Coventry boundary, for example, due to individual choice or where there is a need for specialist support not available in city.

Coventry’s Market Strengths: We measure the strength of our market through a number of key
indicators including:

• Market stability: In Coventry, we have a stable market with minimal provider exits (4 providers in the last 12 months – 2023/2024) and have been able to source replacement capacity quickly with minimal disruption to individuals in receipt of support. In addition, our staff recruitment and retention rates compare favourably to regional rates (25.6% turnover in Coventry compared to 28.2% turnover in the West Midlands, source Skills for Care 2022/23) indicating the stability of our workforce. This has been further reinforced through the range of support we have offered to the market including job fayres, advertising of roles and international recruitment support.
• Ability to respond without delay: Offering a variety of provision available in a timely manner is imperative to ensuring choice, control and meeting people’s needs. Our ability to respond to local need is a key strength. We also work cohesively with local providers to flex to demand as needed, such as the commissioning of additional short-term residential beds (mixture of residential and dementia to ensure capacity was available) for the winter period 2023/24. Whilst we are effective in meeting general needs, we note challenges in sourcing care and support for individuals with long-term high-level nursing or more complex needs requiring specialist support.
• Working innovatively in partnership with the market: We are proud of the working relationships we have with the provider market and its flexibility and adaptability in implementing new ways of working for the benefit of individuals. In the last year this has included the implementation of the Improving Lives programme, a systemwide change to the delivery of health and social care whereby efficiencies and improvements to outcomes have already been made. Likewise, we pride ourselves on being open and honest with providers and working together to overcome challenges. We do this through clear communications via our website, bulletins and provider forums, a dedicated contract officer for each commissioned provider, and a programme of quality assurance reviews, meetings, and visits to maintain ongoing support and contact. In our annual survey of the market (which achieved over 60% return rate) 82% of respondents felt they were well supported by Adults Commissioning and we continue to build this support offer. We have recently also implemented dedicated escalation routes in respect of safeguarding and financial queries in response to market feedback and greatly value the input of providers into the development of this Market Position Statement.