Kent County Council drastically cuts home care agencies

Kent County Council has drastically reduced the number of home care agencies it works with from 120 to 23.

The county council has awarded new contracts to 23 organisations to provide home care to over 6,000 vulnerable and older people.

It will save £2.7m per year as a result, as care providers will only deliver care within a certain geographic area, resulting in savings due to economies of scale as well as reduced travel costs and overheads.

The council said it followed a rigorous tender process and awarded contracts to the organisations which showed they could provide the best quality care and value for money.

People receiving home care from the council have voiced their concerns over losing the carers they know and trust.

However Graham Gibbens, cabinet member for adult social care and public health at Kent County Council, said: “These changes will bring real benefits to people receiving home care in Kent, as well as to the taxpayer. However, we understand this may be an unsettling time for those who work in the home care sector in Kent. We are urging care workers to visit our website to find out more about their rights and the opportunities available under the new contracts.

“What matters most to us is providing quality care to the people who use these services. These new contracts were awarded to providers who showed they could deliver quality at a fair price, so vulnerable residents can feel confident in the people who provide their care.”

The council claims the new contracts means it will be able to monitor more effectively the quality of care being delivered. It also says that fewer providers means the council will be able to build stronger relationships with home care providers, the community and the voluntary sector.

The successful providers are:

Ashford

Allied Healthcare Group Ltd

Avante Partnership Ltd

Beech Tree Total Care Ltd

Nurse Plus and Carer Plus UK Ltd

Canterbury and Coastal

121 Care & Mobility Ltd

All Seasons (Kent) Ltd

Allied Healthcare Group Ltd

Avante Partnership Ltd

Care at Home Services (South East) Ltd

Nightingale Homecare and Community Support Services LTD

Nurse Plus & Carer Plus UK Ltd

Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley

Allied Healthcare Group Limited

Avante Partnership Ltd

Circle Support (registered as Circle Care and Support Ltd.)

Dawn to dusk community care ltd

Here2care Ltd

Kent Social Care Professionals Ltd

PCT Diamond Care Services Ltd

Westminster Homecare Ltd

South Kent Coastal

All Seasons (Kent) LTD

Allied Healthcare Group Limited

Meritum Independent Living

Nightingale Homecare and Community Support Services LTD

Nurse Plus & Carer Plus UK Ltd

Swale

Agincare Group Ltd

Avante Partnership Ltd

Boldglen Ltd

Care UK Homecare Ltd

Scott Care Ltd

Thanet

All Seasons (Kent) LTD

Care UK Homecare Ltd

Nightingale Homecare and Community Support Services LTD

West Kent

All Seasons (Kent) LTD

Allied Healthcare Group Limited

Avante Partnership Ltd

Circle Support (registered as Circle Care and Support Ltd.)

Guardian Homecare UK Limited

Kent Social Care Professionals Ltd.

Lifecome Limited t/a LifeCome Care

Meritum Independent Living

Nurse Plus & Carer Plus UK Ltd

NV Care Ltd

Xtracare Ltd