22119 Direct Payment Support Services

The Council’s detailed requirements are defined in the Specification.

We are looking to commission a high-quality Direct Payment Support Service (DPSS) that enables the outcome of improved independence, health, and wellbeing of people with eligible needs funding their own support.

Priority activities for the service are to:

1. Provide high quality information and advice on Direct Payments, purchasing care and support directly, and on the support services opportunities available locally. This includes CMEs and other voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations.
2. To provide support to the service users directly employing PAs on the matter of HR and Tax in compliance with the HR and Tax legislation current at the time.
3. Offer personalised support to people to manage their Direct Payments in ways that they can understand.
4. Provide independent support to people who are purchasing support through Direct Payments and people who fund their own support (self-funders)
5. Assist Direct Payments recipients to directly employ support staff and to understand employment legislation and manage their duties as employers.
6. Provide a high quality and efficient payroll service to Cambridgeshire service users who wish to use this service.
7. Provide a managed bank account service for Direct Payment recipients who choose not to receive and manage their Direct Payment themselves.
8. Support the development, implementation, and ongoing management of a Personal Assistant Platform for the job matching of PAs and service-users. We expect this platform will hold the CMEs/ISFs provider information to support with sign posting and matching individuals to these services and help the recruitment of PAs.
9. Support service uses to process DBS checks on behalf of the personal assistant, the cost of such DBS check is to be paid by the employee.
10. Collaborate with council staff to develop personal assistant hourly guideline rates.
11. Collaborate with commissioners (both public sector, self-funders, and Direct Payments recipients) and other partners to develop and effectively facilitate the Personal Assistant and wider self-directed support market.