Learning disability and autism - host commissioner responsibilities

Host commissioner guidelines: People diagnosed with a learning disability and/or autism
 

NHS England and NHS Improvement published host commissioner guidance in January 2021. This sets out the host commissioner responsibilities. The host commissioner is the ICB in whose geographic patch the specialist mental health inpatient unit which provides care commissioned by ICBs to people with a learning disability, autistic people or both is located. This includes assessment and treatment units, long term rehabilitation units, and other specialist inpatient units.

There is one Independent hospital in Coventry and Warwickshire supporting people with a diagnosis of a learning disability and/or autism and one NHS trust – Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust. The independent hospital is caring for people who have been placed by many different ICBs into Coventry and Warwickshire. A list of the hospitals located in Coventry and Warwickshire is provided at the end of this page.

Further information can be found in the host commissioner guidelines for people diagnosed with a learning disability and/or autism.

 

Our role as host commissioner:

• Be the point of contact for all placing ICBs for issues relating to quality and patient safety.
• Keep an oversight of concerns in relation to the provision in Coventry and Warwickshire.
• Share and request intelligence across commissioners placing people in our area.
• Work in conjunction with local, regional and national Quality Surveillance Group (QSG) arrangements, taking a lead role in co-ordinating the response required if there are serious and / or multiple concerns identified.

The role of ICBs placing in Coventry and Warwickshire:

• Talk to us prior to admitting a person into Coventry and Warwickshire ICB.
• Commission and oversee the individual’s hospital placement and pathway of care back into the community, and undertake regular commissioning reviews of the individual patient.
• Talk to us about issues relating to quality and patient safety you identify within Coventry and Warwickshire Hospitals.
• Collaborate with us when we set up collaborative assurance meetings across ICBs. The purpose of these is to share information across stakeholders and work together to support Independent Hospitals to maintain quality, mitigate risk and resolve concerns.

 

How to tell us about a concern

It’s important that ICBs placing in Coventry and Warwickshire talk to us about issues relating to quality and patient safety. This will help us triangulate information and also address any identified concerns as host commissioner. We also encourage our independent providers to talk to us about concerns that arise. It remains the responsibility of the placing ICB to deal with any concerns as they arise.

You can email us at cwccg.qualitymatters@nhs.net

Reporting safeguarding concerns

We work closely with our Local Authority safeguarding Leads. Should you have any safeguarding concerns or wish to make a safeguarding referral it will be your responsibility as placing ICB to contact the relevant Local Authority. Coventry and Warwickshire safeguarding teams will also contact you directly should a local safeguarding concern be raised that involves the person you have placed in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Read more about safeguarding, how to make a referral and local safeguarding contacts:

• Warwickshire – Home | Warwickshire Safeguarding Adults and Children’s Board (safeguardingwarwickshire.co.uk)
• Coventry – Safeguarding adults – Coventry City Council

Please talk to us when you are considering placing a person with a diagnosis of a learning disability and/or autism in Coventry and Warwickshire.

If you intend to admit a person within Coventry and Warwickshire, we invite you to contact us in advance and we will be able to advise you of any current safety or quality concerns. When contacting us please do not include person identifiable information in your emails. We will never ask for identifiable information about people you place in our area.

In Coventry and Warwickshire we have host commissioning responsibilities for the following inpatient units:

• Cygnet, Joyce Parker Hospital
• Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Brooklands Hospital
• Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Caludon Centre
• Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, St Michaels Hospital
• Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Woodloes House