Following the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 29 November 2022, a draft Quality and Suspension Policy has been prepared for Commissioning, Contracts and Quality Monitoring of Providers for agreement by Committee. The Policy identifies how Wirral Council will ensure its compliance with its duty under the Care Act 2014 to commission care services of a good quality.

In that, those services which do not have a good quality rating from either the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or from the Councils Independent Quality Assessment - Provider Assessment and Market Management Solutions (PAMMS), will be suspended and have restrictions on new referrals for placements from Wirral Council, until such time that they have a good quality rating or show an improving direction towards a good rating.

As there are often capacity issues in the market, especially in the right place to meet carer needs, Providers that Require Improvement (RI) Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated services may need to be commissioned to allow for people to receive the type of care that they require. However, this will be ordered on a case-by-case basis, and with close contractual and social care monitoring of the new placement.

In addition, the Policy identifies that Wirral Council will publish the details of any provider that is suspended to new placements. This is seen as an important factor in providing quality information to people and their families before making a decision regarding placing their relative in a home.