NEW contracts for providing carers at two supported housing schemes for older people in Cwmbran are set to be approved.
Ty George Lansbury was the first extra care scheme in Torfaen when it opened in 2008 at the site of the former George Lansbury Residential Care Home, named after the former Labour Party leader and grandfather of Murder She Wrote actress Angela Lansbury.
It was followed four years later by Ty Cae Nant, in the centre of Cwmbran, and both schemes support older people who do not require residential or nursing home accommodation, but benefit from varying levels of care and support to remain independent within the local community.
At present, there are two carers at Ty George Lansbury from 7am to 11pm and one throughout the night as well as a full time activities coordinator while at Ty Cae Nant there is a minimum of one carer from 7am to 11pm and one over night and a part time activities co-ordinator.
A review, ahead of the existing contracts which will come to an end in March, has resulted in care hours at Ty George reducing from 280 a week to 224, but that will still maintain two carers during the seven to 11 shift.
At Ty Nant, commissioned care hours will increase from 112 a week to 168, and the night shift will remain the same. The activities co-ordinator role will be reduced to a part-time post across both schemes.
Radis
Care firm Radis currently provides care at both schemes and its contracts are worth £716,992 a year.
Following a tender exercise Torfaen Borough Council’s Labour cabinet is being recommended to award a single contract covering both schemes to a firm, at this stage, identified only as “Tenderer A” which scored better on price and quality evaluation than the other bidder that went to the final stage assessment.
The contract, which will cost £679,583 a year, will run for three years from March 4 this year to 2029.
The other bid, from “Tenderer B”, came in at approximately £724,888 a year while a third bidder was ruled out an earlier stage of the process.
“Tenderer B”, which will be held as first reserve, scored better on the “social value” aspect of the contract which included initiatives such as helping residents improve their health by giving up smoking and taking on unemployed people and providing work experience.
That accounted for only 10 per cent of the total score with the contract awarded on a 50 per cent quality and 10 per cent price evaluation.
Successful bidders are named at a later date when the awarding process has been completed.