The Executive Director of Social Care and Health submitted a report providing the Committee with the options available to the Council in advance of the Berkshire Community Equipment Service Contract expiring in March 2024 and inviting the Committee to consider the new Turnkey Technology Enabled Care pilot service and its extension.

The report explained that the Berkshire Community Equipment Service (BCES) provided equipment to support people to live independently at home, for example, by providing rails and sensor alarms.  This service was delivered by NRS Healthcare as part of a five year contract that was due to expire on 31 March 2022.  The BCES contract was managed by West Berkshire Council on behalf of all six unitary authorities in Berkshire and the two Berkshire NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups.  There was an option to extend the contract for a further two years, covering an extension period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024.  The monetary value of the extension was £1.4m.

In addition to the core equipment contract the Council had worked with NRS to develop an enhanced Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Turnkey pilot service which had been launched in Reading in November 2020.  Whilst this worked within the framework of the current contract it provided access to additional equipment and support services thus providing an end to end offer for services, for example, assessment through to installation and monitoring.

The report outlined the options available to the Council in advance of the contract expiring in March 2024.

Resolved –

(1)     That the current contract period of the Berkshire Community Equipment Service supply be extended from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024 at an estimated value of £1.4 million including contract management fees;

(2)     That the Turnkey pilot service be continued from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2024 at an estimated value of £384,000.