Joint approach agreed to provide care for those people needing home support

Wiltshire Council has agreed to create a joint framework for commissioning care for children and adults who need additional support at home.

At a cabinet meeting today (4 March) council leaders agreed the change to help ensure sufficient homecare of good quality is available for residents that need support and to help with longer-term care planning.

Home care for children and adults covers people who need support with domiciliary care, supported living or personal care. The council also focuses on home and community-based care and support for children and young people, aged 0-25, their parents, carers and families. This includes helping them to participate in activities in the home and community, provide respite and support with personal care.

Currently Wiltshire has three separate frameworks to commission this care. Adults are cared for under the Flexible Home Care Framework, Children under the Children's Home Care Framework, while for adults of working age who may present with mental health needs, learning disability (with or without dementia) and autistic spectrum condition, care is provided under the Good Lives Alliance (GLA) Framework.

Following consultation with communities, care providers and partners, it has been decided to move to one joint framework from April 2026.

Officers will now prepare a procurement programme with a final paper reaching cabinet in July 2025 for approval.

Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "We have listened to the views of people in Wiltshire on this. Many people tell us they want to live at home for as long as possible to feel safe and secure. Having homecare as a support to ensure your needs are met means people can keep control of their care and stay at home and be independent where that is possible.

"It is an opportunity to build on the individual's skills and confidence and it ties in with our vision that we all deserve to live our lives our way. There is a growing demand for home care, so it is important we sustain a strong local market that can take a strategic, longer term commissioning approach. This new approach aligns all homecare under a single joint framework and will help us achieve this goal."