The Council has agreed new contracts with two local care providers to support people being discharged from hospital or prevent hospital admissions. The contracts to provide short term care at home services will support an estimated 7,900 Solihull residents over the next three years and are worth £6.9million.
The Early Response Service provided by Universal Care Services avoids unnecessary hospital admissions by supporting people at home with care. It provides up to six weeks free care supporting people to regain as much independence as possible, for example after a fall, and assessing their longer term care needs.
The Home Discharge Service provided by Nationwide Care Services supports people when they are discharged from hospital, so they can come home as soon as they are able to. It also provides up to six weeks free care supporting people to recover while their longer term care needs are assessed.
Councillor Tony Dicicco, cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health, said: “These urgent community response services are really good news for Solihull residents and our health partners, as well as for the two local care providers. The services were piloted by Universal Care Services and Nationwide Care Services during the pandemic as we responded to changing regulations and pressures on the health service, particularly around hospital discharges. Having gone through a competitive tender process, the providers have been awarded the contracts to deliver support the same day the request is made, with dedicated care teams for our residents.
He continued: “Positive feedback from residents, their families and our partner organisations tells us how much these services are already valued. We look forward to continuing the successful relationships with Universal and Nationwide as they help us to support people to recover at home.”
Scott Higgins-Wright, Regional Director Universal Care Services, said: “It has been a pleasure for us to participate in the pilot scheme during COVID-19. This helped shape the service to respond to the pandemic, and also gave us the opportunity to develop the provision for the Early Response service. Solihull Council is committed to engaging with the provider to shape the services to benefit Solihull residents. As a result of winning this tender, we are delighted and honoured, and we look forward to continuing the partnership and for our local care teams to continue developing the service in order to ensure that our residents remain in their own homes, and that we are encouraging independence for all residents in order to decrease future dependency on services.”
Waheed Azam, Director Nationwide Care Services, said: “We had the privilege of being chosen to pilot the Hospital Discharge Service and are honoured to have won the tender for the contract with Solihull Council. This journey has been a testament to our care team’s commitment to delivering exceptional care and ensuring seamless transitions for service users. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and will continue to prioritise the well-being and recovery of individuals in our community. Our team's expertise and unwavering dedication have brought us to this point, and we look forward to continuing to care for Solihull residents."
main photo caption (from left to right): Lizzie Wrafter and Scott Higgins-Wright (Universal), Waheed Azam, Shabana Bi and Afshan Mahmood (Nationwide) with Cllr Tony Dicicco.