Equalities Screening Record Form

Date of Screening:
February 2020

Directorate: People

Section: Strategic Commissioning

1. Activity to be assessed

Procurement of Home Care Services Framework

2. What is the activity?

Policy/strategy Function/procedure Project Review Service Organisational change

3. Is it a new or existing activity?

New Existing

4. Officer responsible for the screening

Alison Cronin

5. Who are the members of the EIA team?

Alison Cronin, Liz Walker, Sally Cathcart-Cunnison

6. What is the purpose of the activity?

To procure a new home care service framework for people who live in their own homes but require additional support to remain there; thereby preventing or delaying more costly options such as residential care. The service includes activities such as personal care, discharge to assess and supports reablement of individuals following hospital admission and is a critical way of delivering the duties under the Care Act 2014. Services are provided 365 days a year to people with a range of disabilities and health conditions.

A key aspect of moving to the new arrangements will be to encourage current providers onto the framework to minimise risks and potential impact on service users. Where providers do not join the framework a Mobilisation & Transition team will be set up in order to manage the transition. The team will develop and manage the transition of packages and providers with a particular focus on Care Act Compliance.

In 2017 the council tendered for a Community Based Support framework (CBS) and awarded contracts to 5 organisations. Two providers terminated their contracts within the first year, leaving a shortfall in provision for people who required the service. This resulted in the council having to spot purchase services from other providers. Whilst this has led to choice and sufficiency of provision it has resulted in an inequitable and non-transparent methodology for securing care packages, which undermines the BFBC contract and procurement rules and subsequently the public contract regulations 2015.

The activity will seek to:

• develop a compliant commissioning model allowing for transparency and fairness

• ensure all people who are eligible for services receive good quality, affordable home care services

• ensure services focus on individual needs and individually identified outcomes in terms of care and support through a framework of pre-approved providers

7. Who is the activity designed to benefit/target?

People who are 18 years and over who are eligible for domiciliary care defined in legislation such as the Care Act 2014.

This will include, for example:

• People who access social care support

• People who access local health services

• People with care and support needs, which includes people with a range of disabilities and health conditions

Protected Characteristics

Please tick

yes or no

Is there an impact?

What kind of equality impact may there be?

What evidence do you have to support this?

E.g. equality monitoring data, consultation results, customer satisfaction information etc

8. Disability Equality - this can include physical, mental health, learning or sensory disabilities and includes conditions such as dementia as well as hearing or sight impairment.

Yes.

The impact is expected to be positive.

Based on people in receipt of home care during 2019/20 & 2020/21, the Primary Support Reasons were:

Primary Support Need	2019 to 2020	2020 to 2021	Change	% change
Standard Personal Care only	150	202	52	35%
Support with Memory and Cognition	48	83	35	73%
Learning Disability	52	46	-6	-12%
Mental Health	13	15	2	15%
Physical Support - Access and Mobility	4	5	1	25%
Sensory Dual Impairment	2	1	-1	-50%
Total	269	352	83	31%

Analysis of the proportion split of the service indicates a significant increase in demand for those suffering deficits in Memory and Cognition. This is supported by national trends in needs analysis and the increasing demands for dementia services. Support with Memory and Cognition is the most significant group after standard home care.

There will be no change in eligibility for this service. Everyone, 18+ who meets the eligibility criteria is entitled to receive a service regardless of their disability.

Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contract.

9. Racial equality

Yes.

Based on people in receipt of home care during 2019/20 & 2020/21 the ethnicity breaks down as:

Ethnicity	2019/2020	2020/2021	% change
White	254	336	32% increase
BME	12	13	8% increase
Unspecified	3	4
Total	269	353	31%

Variations in ethnicity and gender are in line with national statistics and expectations as supported by data from POPPI

https://www.poppi.org.uk/index.php

There will be no change in eligibility for this service, so everyone who is eligible, regardless of race, will be entitled to a service. Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contractual agreement.

10. Gender equality

Neutral impact is expected

Based on people in receipt of home care during 2019/20 & 2020/21 indicates the breakdown between males and females accessing the service:

Gender	2019/20		2020/21
	18-64	65+		18-64	65+
Female	39	112	151	38	171	209
Male	48	70	118	51	93	144
	87	182	269	89	264	353

The age group 65+ accounts for the majority of people receiving services.

The proportion of males in receipt of care is higher in the 18-64yr category but this is reversed in 65yrs+ cohort where the proportion of females in receipt of care is higher. The gender difference is a national trend of the service.

There is no impact upon an individual as a result of their gender.

However, preferences of personal care do impact service allocation. For example, a female service user might prefer a female carer etc.

There will be no change in eligibility for this service, so everyone who is eligible, regardless of gender, will be entitled to a service. Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contract.

11. Sexual orientation equality

Yes.

There is no envisaged negative impact upon an individual as a result of their sexual orientation.

Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contract.

12. Gender re-assignment

Neutral impact is expected

BFC do not gather information on this equalities strand. At this time there is no evidence to suggest a negative or positive impact on an individual as a result of gender reassignment

Home care services are available to anyone who is eligible, regardless of any gender re-assignment

Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contract.

13. Age equality

Yes

There is no envisaged negative impact upon an individual as a result of their age.

There will be no change in eligibility for this service, so everyone who is eligible will be entitled to a service. Expectations around service accessibility will be specified within the contract.

14. Religion and belief equality

Yes

The impact is expected to be positive

Based on people in receipt of home care during 2020-21 (LAS Data), indicates the following breakdown between religion and belief:

Religion Description+	Count Client	Percentage	2011 Census
Christian	62	83.8%	59.3%
Muslim	2	2.7%	4.8%
No Religion	9	12.2%	25.1%
Not Stated	1	1.4%	-
Total responses	74	-	-
Not Recorded	201	-	-
Total clients	275	-	-

Office of National Statistics.gov.uk.

The initial findings from the 2021 census are not anticipated to be published until March 22, so reference is made to the 2011 census. However, the census data is not a direct comparison as Religion and Belief criteria are requested in a different format, the census data is from 2011 and only 74 individuals responded in comparison to the population census data.

The impact is expected to be positive across all religions and beliefs, as the service is available to everyone who meets the eligibility criteria. All efforts will be made to ensure equity to the ongoing access to services.

15. Pregnancy and maternity equality

Neutral impact is expected.

No evidence could be found to suggest an adverse or positive impact based on pregnancy or maternity alone.

16. Marriage and civil partnership equality

Neutral impact is expected.

No evidence could be found to suggest an adverse or positive impact based on marriage or civil partnership alone.

17. Please give details of any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g. those on lower incomes/carer’s/ex-offenders, armed forces communities) and on promoting good community relations.

Carers

New figures released for Carers Week (8th – 14th June 2020) show an estimated 4.5 million people in the UK have become unpaid carers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is on top of the 9.1 million unpaid carers who were already caring before the outbreak, bringing the total to 13.6 million.

2.7 million women (59%) and 1.8 million men (41%) have started caring for relatives who are older, disabled or living with a physical or mental illness.

(Carers Week 2020 Research Report - Carers UK)

The initial findings from the 2021 census are not anticipated to be published until March 22, but the JSNA in 2016 reported an estimate 10,125 informal carers in Bracknell Forest. This is an increase from the 2011 census, which indicated that there were approximately 9,600 carers in the local area. This indicates a potential increase of 5.5%.

The impact is expected to be positive for carers, through delivery of safe and effective services supporting the care provided by carers.

People on lower incomes & Armed forces community

No evidence could be found to suggest an adverse impact on these groups.

18. If an adverse/negative impact has been identified can it be justified on grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group or for any other reason?

n/a

19. If there is any difference in the impact of the activity when considered for each of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number of people likely to be affected?

n/a

20. Could the impact constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the Equality Duties?

No adverse impacts have been identified.

21. What further information or data is required to better understand the impact? Where and how can that information be obtained?

The Care Act 2014 stipulates how services should be delivered to people under Adult Social Care.

22. On the basis of sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment required?

23. If a full impact assessment is not required; what actions will you take to reduce or remove any potential differential/adverse impact, to further promote equality of opportunity through this activity or to obtain further information or data? Please complete the action plan in full, adding more rows as needed.

Action

Timescale

Person Responsible

Milestone/Success Criteria

Equalities monitoring will be built into contract monitoring

From commencement of contract

Head of Strategic Commissioning

Equalities recording in LAS and evidence gathered from contract monitoring can be reviewed to identify any positive/negative impact on protected characteristics

Annual Report on Equalities Monitoring – Services

Annual basis

Head of Strategic Commissioning

The Annual Report, which is completed each year on Equalities Monitoring – Services can be used for monitoring purposes.

The report aims to show that the council is providing a fair and equitable service to all residents who are eligible for support.

24. Which service, business or work plan will these actions be included in?

The People Directorate

25. Please list the current actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good practice identified as part of the screening?

Redefining service specification

The proposal to re-procure and re-commission home care support utilising an updated outcome focused service specification will provide individuals with tailored support linked to their assessed needs to support wellbeing and independence.

Expectations around service accessibility, service flexibility and delivering person centred support will be specified within the contractual agreement.

Having a larger, flexible framework will safeguard the service users as the council will be able to move away from having large number of service users with one provider, and the framework can be opened up to new providers if it cannot meet the demands for the service.

26. Assistant Director signature

Signature: Date:

When complete please send to abby.thomas@bracknell-forest.gov.uk for publication on the Council’s website.