Wrap Around, Pass the Parcel & Private Meetings
Sandwell’s “Decisions” That Nobody’s Supposed to Watch
Decisions of the Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Well-being
📅 Tuesday, 24th February 2026
🕒 3.00pm
And in true Sandwell style…
It’s not open to the public.
Because nothing says confidence like making commissioning decisions behind closed doors.
The Story We’re Being Told
We’re told this is about a “Wrap Around Service” — rapid response, short-term (up to 72 hours), crisis domiciliary support. It’s described as essential to preventing admissions, easing hospital discharge, and keeping the system flowing.
Sounds sensible, right?
Now let’s unwrap it.
The Bit They’re Not Shouting About
This isn’t a new service.
It’s not even the second time it’s been procured.
It’s at least the third iteration since 2022.
- 2022 – Procurement approved.
- 2023 – Re-procured again under Light Touch Regime.
- 2023 Award Notice – 45 tenders received. Yes, forty-five.
- 2026 – Back again for another procurement.
And yet… this time they’re asking for pre-approval to award the contract even if they don’t receive the minimum number of tenders.
Funny that.
In 2023 they had 45 bids.
In 2026 they’re already preparing for “not enough competition”.
Either:
- The market has collapsed overnight (show us the evidence), or
- The exemption is just a handy “flexibility” clause in case they fancy narrowing things down quietly.
The Disappearing Dates Trick
The Equality Impact Assessment says the current arrangement expires 5 November 2025.
The main report says the contract ends 31 August 2026.
That’s not a rounding error. That’s nine months.
So which is it?
Was there:
- An extension?
- A variation?
- A bridge contract?
- Or just sloppy drafting?
When you can’t clearly state when your own contract ends, perhaps pause before asking for fresh delegated powers.
The Hospital Discharge Sleight of Hand
Here’s the real eyebrow-raiser.
The report says the service is vital to prevent hospital discharge delays.
But it also admits that in September 2025 they stopped accepting referrals from the Hospital Discharge Team due to “financial viability and sustainability.”
Let me translate:
“It’s essential for hospital flow… except we stopped using it for hospital flow.”
You can’t simultaneously:
- Argue the sky will fall without it,
- And admit you’ve already unplugged the biggest referral source.
What happened after September 2025?
- Did delayed discharges increase?
- Did costs shift elsewhere?
- Did another service quietly pick up the slack?
We’re not told.
The Delegation Jackpot
The Cabinet Member is asked to:
✔ Approve procurement
✔ Delegate award to the Executive Director
✔ Approve 10% contract variations
✔ Pre-approve hourly rate uplifts from 2027 onwards
✔ Allow an exemption if competition fails
All in one neat package.
It’s like governance bingo.
And all of it decided in a private meeting.
Transparency? Optional extra.
The Cost Creep Cushion
Three-year forecast: £815k.
But:
- Built-in 10% variation power.
- Built-in rate uplifts linked to supported living rates.
- Historic uplifts already given under “market sustainability.”
If you pre-approve variation and inflation before the contract even starts, you’re not controlling cost — you’re budgeting for drift.
The Equality Impact Assessment That Impacts Nothing
The EqIA effectively says:
“It’s only 72 hours in someone’s home, so no major equality impacts.”
Right.
Because:
- Language barriers disappear after 71 hours.
- Cultural care needs don’t exist in crisis.
- Communication issues magically resolve themselves.
Tick-box equality is not equality analysis.
Better Care Fund: The Magic Phrase
“Funded through the Better Care Fund.”
Which is a pooled NHS / Council budget.
But:
- Where’s the specific BCF line?
- Which joint board approved this envelope?
- What measurable outcomes are reported back?
BCF is not a governance invisibility cloak.
The Pattern
This service has now been:
- Procured,
- Extended,
- Re-procured,
- Uplifted,
- Adjusted,
- Partially withdrawn (hospital discharge),
- And now re-packaged.
Each time with:
- Delegated powers,
- Market fragility warnings,
- Sustainability concerns,
- And pre-approved flexibility.
At some point you have to ask:
Is this strategic commissioning —
or permanent crisis management dressed up as strategy?
Questions That Deserve Answers (Before 3pm Tuesday)
- Which contract are we actually replacing?
- Why do the end dates not match?
- What happened after hospital discharge referrals stopped in September 2025?
- If 45 tenders were received in 2023, why are we pre-approving a procurement exemption now?
- What are the enforceable KPIs?
- Where is the published BCF governance approval?
If it’s all robust, it should survive public scrutiny.
The Bigger Issue
This isn’t about opposing a crisis support service.
It’s about how decisions are made.
Private meetings.
Heavy delegation.
Pre-approved flexibility.
Inconsistent dates.
And a narrative that shifts depending on which paragraph you read.
Adult social care commissioning deserves better than “trust us, it’s mitigated.”
Because when governance gets wrapped up,
accountability often gets wrapped away with it.
If you believe decisions about public money should happen in daylight, not in private rooms at 3pm on a Tuesday…
Pay attention.
More to follow.
#SandwellCouncil #AdultSocialCare #BetterCareFund #HospitalDischarge #LocalGovernment #Transparency #PublicMoney #Governance #Procurement #Accountability
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