To debate a Motion submitted by the Administration in accordance with Rules 11 and 13 of the Council’s Constitution. The debate will last for a maximum of 30 minutes.

7.1       ADMINISTRATION MOTION REGARDING MOTION ON DELIVERING SOCIAL CARE FOR ALL

Council considered a motion as printed in the agenda on the delivering 0f Social Care for all that had been moved by Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury and seconded by Councillor Maium Miah Talukdar.

Following debate, the motion as moved by Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury was put to the vote and was agreed that:

This Council notes:

v  That social care has always been a key priority to Mayor Lutfur Rahman,

v  throughout his time in public office.

v  That understanding the complexities of need, cultural sensitivity and patient priority has been central to all previous policy and legislation historically pursued by the Mayor during his previous administrations.

v  That in his last Market Position Statement on Care, published in 2013, the Mayor pledged to pursue the following key criteria to guarantee and safeguard decency, sensitivity and optimal performance for patients and carers:

• “All services must be culturally sensitive.
• “We wish to limit use of block contracts, moving to more flexible contracting arrangements.
• “We will seek to work with our providers to achieve a balance of value for money and risk that is sustainable for the provider as well as the Council.
• “We will seek to use our purchasing power to stimulate the local economy and maximise employment opportunities for local people. It is the borough’s highest priority to promote the employment of local residents.
• “We intend to increase the range of services available, encouraging local, smaller providers.
• “We would always ask that unless there are good market reasons not to do so, all contractors should pay the London Living Wage. Unless an exception is made contracts will be let with this stipulation.

“We will fund independent support for providers in complex procurements.”

v  That these commitments represented a shift away from the hegemony of three or four large contractors and allowed a democratisation of the market, enabling care. services to be tailored to the diverse needs of patients.

v  That – according to the 2021 Census – Tower Hamlets has 17,471 of residents over 65, and 22,526 residents classified as disabled under the Disabilities Act. Many of these residents will be require varying levels of care.

v  That Officers have warned that demographic pressures in social care represent nationally ‘a growing concern for local authorities,’ with over 55,000 residents expected to be over 65, suffering from physical and learning disabilities by 2025.

This Council believes:

v  That to address these pressures, a reimagining of and shift in how the Council delivers its care services is required.

v  That this will require a refreshed approach to procurement; how care is administered by providers; new capital projects to meet these pressures; and a return to a democratised market where smaller care providers have the opportunity to deliver bespoke care services to the residents of Tower Hamlets.

v  That smaller providers should be given the opportunity to deliver services to residents, breaking the monopoly of four or five organisations and enhancing the Council’s ability to guarantee tailored, and where necessary, culturally sensitive care to residents.

v  That social value must be a priority in the procurement weighting considered before contracts are awarded and services delivered, ensuring that care is considerate and dignified, as well as cost-effective and efficient.

v  That – building on the Mayor’s previous commitment to guarantee carers the London Living Wage (LLW) – all carers should be now be guaranteed minimum. hours, enhancing their ability to provide the best services to their patients and protecting them against the instability and uncertainty of zero-hour contracts.

v  That carers should be recognised as trustworthy and invaluable key workers who provide the most important services to our residents.

This Council resolves:

v  To support the Mayor and Lead member’s plans to invest in accessible high[1]quality social care provision in the borough.

v  To support the Mayor and Lead Member’s pledge to develop two bespoke care facilities for adults and children, helping to alleviate the demographic pressures warned against by Officers.

v  To support the Mayor and Lead Member’s plans to guarantee hours for all carers, providing them security and stability while they deliver invaluable services to residents.

v  To support the Mayor and Lead Member’s pledge to request the prioritisation of 10% social value weighting to all contracts procured through the Council’s tendering processes, ensuring that the needs of residents and communities are given fair consideration in the procurement process.

v  To support the Mayor and Lead Member in guaranteeing smaller organisations a chance to provide care to the residents of the Borough.