Havering Council's Cabinet has approved a two-year extension to its Extra Care and Support contract with Care-Away Limited, ensuring continued stability for vulnerable residents and staff across three key sites.
The decision, made at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, will see the contract with Care-Away Limited extended from December 1, 2026, to November 30, 2028. This extension guarantees the provision of 24-hour on-site care, emergency response, and wellbeing services at Dreywood Court, Paines Brook Court, and St Ethelburga Court.
Councillor Graham Day, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health Care, highlighted that the extension would provide crucial stability for residents and staff, maintaining the continuity of care and avoiding the risks associated with a new procurement process. He noted that procurement alone can take up to 18 months, making the extension a necessary step to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
Performance and Resident Feedback
Performance monitoring and resident feedback have indicated that the service is performing well. Contract monitoring and resident feedback show that the service is delivering positive outcomes and supporting residents to remain independent, safe, and connected within a housing-based care setting. A September 2025 survey revealed that residents feel safe, are treated with dignity and respect, and are supported to manage risks, access information and make choices about their care and support.
During the year, the provider recorded 58 compliments and three complaints, with compliments frequently praising staff kindness, reliability, respectful communication, end-of-life care, medication support and emotional reassurance.
Capacity of Extra Care Sites
The three Extra Care sites have a combined capacity of 195 flats, with 92 residents currently receiving care packages. The breakdown is as follows:
- Dreywood Court: 98 flats (78 subject to LBH nomination rights), with 36 residents receiving care and 4 voids.
- Paines Brook Court: 64 flats (59 subject to LBH nomination rights), with 38 residents receiving care and 6 voids.
- St Ethelburga Court: 33 flats (all subject to LBH nomination rights), with 18 residents receiving care and 2 voids.
Future Assessment and Commissioning
The two-year extension period will allow the council to assess future demand, affordability, and the long-term model for Extra Care before any future commissioning decisions are made. This includes testing the revised Adult Social Care-led referral and placement model. The council aims to understand the level and type of demand for Extra Care and assess how these schemes can best contribute to reducing reliance on residential care, preventing avoidable escalation, and supporting people to live independently in the community for longer. The learning from this period will inform the Council's longer-term commissioning intentions for Extra Care, including future referral pathways, eligibility expectations, the required mix of needs, affordability, capacity, and the role of Extra Care within Havering's broader strategy for alternatives to residential care homes.
Potential Risks and Drawbacks
While the extension is deemed to represent good value for money and a lower operational risk compared to an immediate recommissioning process, potential risks and drawbacks have been identified. These include concerns about provider performance, market dependency, cost control, and a reduced opportunity for competition during the extension period. Extending the current contract increases dependency on the existing provider and delays wider market testing.
This decision was made following a review of the Public reports pack for the Cabinet meeting on 14 October 2026. Public reports pack