What are PLRs?
Cornwall Council and NHS Kernow are developing a system of Provider-Led Reviews (PLRs). Home care and supportive life styles (SLS) providers who are taking part will assess the level of need of their clients. Proposed changes have been sent to:
- The Council
- Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group (KCCG)
A social worker, case co-ordinator or health assessor reviews the proposed changes. If approved, they are quickly able to be updated and changed.
This Provider-Led Review concept is replacing the FSD (Flexible Service Delivery) process.
PLRs now open!
We are now formally inviting all providers to take part in this process.
PLRs have freed up significant capacity to support high priority clients with unmet need. This is critical in the current pandemic to help with system flow. We hope as many providers as possible will take part.
1. Register as a PLR provider
Please email registration request to contractsadults@cornwall.gov.uk. Ensure you have 'PLR Registration attention Sarah' in the subject line in the first instance. You will need:
- a current NHS.net email address which will be used to submit the reviews. You must have this address in advance of submitting a PLR. Don't have an NHS.net email? Instructions on how to register via NHSnet Fastrack are at the Digital Social Care website NHSmail webpage
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The staff who will be undertaking the reviews will need to have completed the following:
- Minimum of NVQ 2 in Health and Social Care
- Care Act and Mental Capacity Act training within the last 12months
- For reviews of people with Autism, the reviewer needs to have specialist Autism training. This is to be completed within the last 12 months
- The person submitting the reviews will need to attend a PLR training webinar where we will explain the process and how to use the assessment form. This is also an opportunity to ask any questions about the process.
2. Complete a PLR training webinar
Webinars are being run regularly and are only one hour long.
To take part, please provide names of staff with a preferred date to attend a webinar to contractsadults@cornwall.gov.uk with 'PLR Webinar link request - attention Sarah' in the subject line.
3. Review your packages and complete a PLR form
Do the reviews with the person and/or their family to ensure they agree and can input on the proposals made.
Put the completed review into the PLR online form and submit.
Please review the PLR guidance document which supports this part of the process. It will be utilised in the training webinars also.
What happens after a PLR is received?
The process varies depending on how much change is being considered:
Brokers process any changes that are 25% or less of the original care package. (Without a need for verification by a social work professional). The broker will update the purchase order and issue a new service agreement. The change is then implemented. We will then set a new review date for 12 months’ time.
Social care workers review change requests that are more than 25% of the original package. This is a desk top exercise, but if the worker needs more information, they may speak to you and the client.
A health assessor reviews all health packages. The worker reviewing the proposals can either:
- agree to the changes proposed
- agree with amendments, or
- decline the proposals.
Brokers/Buyers process any agreed changes. A new service agreement is issued via the DPS system.
If you have any queries please contact contractsadults@cornwall.gov.uk in the first instance. Please put 'PLR query' in the subject line.
Why are we doing PLRs?
A small test and learn of the PLR concept was done during the first phase of the pandemic in 2019.
Completed reviews in the first 2 months were 212. All reviews with changes under 25% of the total package had 100% approval and 94% of changes over 25% were also agreed. This told us that providers are very well positioned to undertake reviews.
The benefits of Provider Led Reviews include:
- people have a faster response to changes in their needs. This enables better risk management and improves safety
- reduction in 'over-prescription' which can lead to greater dependency
- impactful work by providers who know their clients (people) well
- more autonomy and trust around the people who care for that person