Agenda item

Haringey Council had remained committed to promoting wellbeing, independence and choice by helping residents take greater control over how their care and support needs were met. Direct Payments (DPs) had continued to be the Government’s preferred mechanism for personalisation, enabling individuals to commission care that reflected their own priorities and lifestyles.

Disability Action Haringey (DAH) had been a key strategic partner, representing the Council’s work with disabled residents, supporting co?production, advocating for those furthest from decision?making, identifying service gaps, and working with the Council to address these issues both strategically and operationally.

DAH had delivered two core services central to the personalisation agenda:

• Direct Payment Peer Support Service, offering independent, peer?based guidance to DP holders.
• Personal Assistant (PA) Market Development and Matching Service, supporting the recruitment, training and matching of PAs with DP employers.

Both services had aligned with Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) principles, ensuring impartial, empowering support that could not be replicated in?house without compromising independence.

DAH had also delivered these services in line with Adult Social Care’s locality model. Each locality had been supported by an Independent Living and Direct Payment Officer embedded within Council teams, enabling close collaboration between DAH, social workers and the Direct Payments Team. Key features had included:

• Local drop?ins and outreach sessions across community venues.
• One?to?one case support, including budgeting, employment advice and peer mentoring.
• PA recruitment and matching through a dedicated coordinator.
• Peer support forums to encourage shared learning and confidence?building

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED:

3.1 The Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care & Wellbeing approved, in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 18.02.2 and CSO 2.01 (d) the extension of the contract for the provision of Direct Payment Peer Support and Personal Assistants Market Development, Recruitment and Matching Services with Disability Action Haringey (DAH) for a period of up to six (6) months from 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026 as outlined in the original contract. The aggregated value of the contract including the proposed extension will not exceed £596k.

Reasons for decision:

4.1 In April 2024 Disability Action Haringey - the boroughs Disabled Peoples Organisation, and key strategic partner, was initially awarded a two-year contract with the option to extend for a further six months, to deliver Haringey’s Peer-based Direct Payment (DP) Support and PA Market Development Services. Contract monitoring meetings have taken place throughout the duration of the contract between the provider and commissioner – and the DAH are providing a good service which meets contractual outcomes including the following key achievements: Outcomes & Outputs (April 2024 – September 2025)

· DP holders increased from 600 to 730 (+21%), with 766 active users representing 23.5% of community clients.

· 275 new and existing referrals supported; 187 achieved outcomes linked to independence and wellbeing.

· 188 outreach sessions, 32 staff inductions, and 17 peer forums held (100+ attendees).

· 60 active Personal (care) Assistants in register, supported via drop-ins and training.

· 100% satisfaction reported for accessibility and quality; no complaints received.

 · DAH secured external funding from Skills for Care and Big Lottery Fund to expand training and IAG provision. Quality and Satisfaction · 100% of clients reported being better informed and confident in managing their DPs.

· 100% rated service quality as “excellent” for accessibility and responsiveness.

· Zero complaints received since service inception.

 · Case studies consistently evidence improved quality of life, increased autonomy, and greater participation in community activities. Financial and Value for Money

 · Contract value: £496.5k (two years).

· Expenditure to date: £372k with £27.5k underspend (5.5%) projected. Page 2

· Direct savings: £290k per annum through 76 new DP clients choosing care that costs £3.50/hr less than commissioned agency rates.

· Demonstrates strong financial efficiency alongside social value and community capacity building. Spend Control panel approval (SP1369) was received on 28 October 2025

4.2 CQC Assessment and ASC Improvement Plan The latest CQC assessment of Haringey’s adult social care functions (Feb 2025) notes that Haringey’s levels of Direct Payment users are in line with the national average — and that Haringey operates a dedicated Direct Payments team and a commissioned partner for DP support. However, the inspection also identified notable areas for development, including inconsistent exercise of choice, weaker information accessibility (especially for digitally or sensory-excluded groups) and challenges in market capacity to support self-directed care. In this context, the peer-based and independent model delivered by Disability Action Haringey addresses these gaps directly, strengthening choice, control and market capacity. The model is therefore aligned with inspection-requirements and supports ongoing improvement of Haringey’s DP offer.

4.3 With the existing contract due to expire on 31 March 2026 approval is therefore sought to utilise the six-month extension period, as allowed within the original decision, to: · Maintain continuity for DP holders and PAs;

· Continue achieving best value while embedding TLAP-aligned, independent practice; and

· Complete a commissioning review of the model and future options.

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing: Failure to extend the current contract would result in significant disruption for existing and potential DP Holders living in the borough. This would place the Council at risk of failing to meet its statutory duties under the Care Act 2014; particularly in relation to enhancing well-being, independence, and quality of life for disabled individuals with eligible care and support needs, The Care and Support (Direct Payment) Regulations 2014, and Section 117(2C) of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Go out to tender: Considering the close proximity of the current contract expiry, procurement constrained timescales, and the ongoing strategic review of support services for DP recipients which will inform the future commissioning approach for this service—it is not considered feasible to undertake a full procurement exercise at this stage. Therefore, an interim continuation of the existing service delivery is deemed the most viable and pragmatic solution to ensure continuity of provision.