Live Well at Home - home support providers

Key information

Through the portal, providers can:

• Submit visit and actuals data
• Submit one-off claims
• Update contact details for your organisation and staff
• View care package line item (support packages recorded within our system)
• Receive individual service agreements/contracts (ISAs/ISCs) confirming support packages and sign them electronically
• View and download purchase orders as soon as they are issued
• Access remittance reports
• View payments data

Setting up the planned care on your care system

Your care system needs to be kept up to date with the care to be delivered to a person. This is the information that is used to pay you by exporting it to a CSV file.

In the Provider Portal you will see the term Care Package Line Item (CPLI) – this will be the support package we have in our system for a service user. It is important that the agreed times of visits and hours of support is reflected in your care system.

Service requisition form

A service requisition form is used to notify providers of a care package that needs to be sourced. The timetable of care on this form is to be used to set up the number and duration of visits for the person on your care system.

Where a permanent change is needed to a care package once it has started, the Adult Social Care Team will send you a variation form. You can use the information on this form to update your care system.

Temporary changes

Where a temporary change is needed (for example, for two weeks or less, where, for instance, someone needs extra visits due to informal carer being away, day service closed, extra visits needed to administer short-term course of medication) this will be agreed via phone calls/emails. You need to update your care system with these changes. There is a new process from late February 2023 – please see the section on Provider Led Reviews and Temporary Variations.

Columns in the actuals screen

The following fields are displayed - the number of visits is for safeguarding purposes only, and are required to be completed for every actual:

• Actual - shows the Actual quantity delivered, the units and the unit cost
• Service Level - the specific level of service. for example. External Domiciliary Care - Tiered, Home Care External - Spot
• Pl. (Planned) - number of planned service units (according to the contract)
• Frustd. (Frustrated) - number of service units originally planned but missed by the Service User
• Msd. (Missed) - number of service units originally planned but missed by the provider
• Xtr. (Extra) - number of extra service units delivered in addition to those planned
• Vst. (Visits) - total number of visits to the Service User (informational)
• Total Cost - this shows the total cost; either based on the Actual + Frustrated quantity or the Planned Quantity, depending on payment terms
• Comments - Free text field for comments: Compulsory if there has been an over- / under delivery of planned care

How to log in

 Access the Provider Portal using your email address and password. You must create an account before you can log in.

Requesting an account

Follow the instructions in the requesting an account guide (pdf format, 200KB)

How to reset my password

If you have locked yourself out of the Provider Portal, reset your password using our Provider Portal sign in guide (pdf format, 200KB)

Enter your email address and password. If this is your first time logging in, your password will have been supplied to you and you will be asked to change your password. Ensure it meets the following criteria:

• 9 characters long
• Includes uppercase and lowercase
• Includes at least one numerical character

Once you have changed your password, you will be required to enter a six-digit security code. Please make sure this is memorable

Whenever you log in from here on, you will be asked to:

• Enter your password
• Enter at random two digits of your six-digit security code

If you forget your password or you have entered your password incorrectly too many times, you can request a new password from the homepage. Complete the form and click Submit.

The Helpdesk staff will email the new password to your email address. There can be a delay in resetting passwords and accounts, therefore please do not send in multiple requests.

You can also change your password and your security code at any point by clicking on the relevant links having logged in:

User guides and help

• Portal user guide - LWAH (pdf format, 2.9Mb)
• Acceptable user policy (pdf format, 392Kb)
• Provider Portal E-Learning (pdf format, 55Kb)
• Blank CSV visits file (csv format, 404Kb)
• Visit Columns – Data Type Home First (csv format, 201Kb)
• Example Visit file (colour-coded) csv format, 21Kb)

Further help

If you can’t find the answer in our guides email carepaymentqueries@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Using the portal

Requirements

To use the portal you will need:

• a computer with access to the internet
• software to edit CSV files such as Excel
• software to view a PDF file such as Adobe Reader
• a secure (named) email address - such as a provider email address or NHS digital-accredited account if you already have one, or another individual account (shared accounts are not permitted)
• a printer and scanner - for printing out any relevant information such as supplementary remittance advice.

User accounts

You can have a maximum of four accounts per organisation with different types of role-based access, email carepaymentqueries@oxfordshire.gov.uk for a contact form.

Data protection

The information collected is not stored on your computer. You will only see the details of individuals you have been commissioned to provide care for once you have securely logged on to the system using the two-step login process. When logging on to the system you will sign up for user access and acceptable user policy (pdf format, 392Kb) that are designed to protect you and the individuals, we commission care for. 

Safeguarding or reviews

Other, non-financial issues need to be raised via existing processes.

Instant updates

Changes made in the ContrOCC finance system can be seen in real-time on the portal.

Submitting invoices

There isn’t currently any functionality to submit invoices. Invoices should continue to be submitted via existing processes. 

Visits and payment schedules

The schedules show you when payments for services you have provided can be expected and how frequently the payments will be made.

A payment can only be made provided you have submitted your weekly visits data as expected, below table detail deadline for updating the visits data (ensure to upload your visits data before the deadline date).

Payment schedules

If the contract you have with us requires the portal to be updated with visit data you have delivered, ensure this data is uploaded into the portal and only those that are matched to CPLI will get paid.

You should report any issues with payments to carepaymentqueries@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Payment dates might differ if due around a bank holiday.

Service users charges

Most of our service users make some contribution to the council for their care and these charges will be generated using the visits data submitted by providers. It is therefore important, that this information is accurate and received in a timely manner as specified above.

N.B. This timetable is subject to change by a day or so to account for bank holidays etc.Important information

Visit data files must be uploaded weekly by 5pm every Thursday for the previous week Monday through to Sunday.  The portal will be locked weekly to prevent files from being loaded after the deadline. This is to allow time for the visit data to be checked and any queries dealt with ahead of the payment run

Visit files and troubleshooting

Visit data needs to be uploaded to pay the following:

• Home care (following reablement)
• Generic / long term homecare
• Extra care housing - planned care hours

Visits are not required for:

• Live in care
• Waking nights
• Sleeping nights
• Extra care housing - core charges
• Extra care housing - block payments
• Reablement episodes
• Notice periods

The payments for these will either be generated automatically (there is no need to invoice) or there is a separate process for these. If you have packages of care that you were invoicing for or have been commissioned under a spot contract AND you were invited to use the Provider Portal for these cases, you may submit visits data for these via the Provider Portal.

Visits file saving format

• Save your file as a CSV (Comma delimited)

• Name your file in the following format: Provider Name – Week, for example Ruby Homecare – 02.01.23 - 08.01.23

Planned time and delivered time

The number of hours commissioned should be reflected in the planned columns, and the total weekly hours should match what is recorded on the CPLI. This is crucial.

The delivered times recorded on the visits file should reflect your actual call times.

Recording sleeping nights and waking nights

Night Care should be recorded as a 10-hour long visit (normally 22:00 to 8:00)

Duplicate file uploaded

If the files visits in the files had the same “VisitRef” (visit reference numbers) then it is not a problem as the second file will simply copy over the original data. If a different set of “VisitRef” are used then one will need to be deleted.

File uploaded with errors

If you reload the visits with the same “VisitRef” it will copy over and replace the original data.

Deleting visits

Upload a file with the “VisitRef” of the visits you want to delete in column A (“VisitRef”) and 1 or Yes in Column B.

Unmatched visits

When visits are uploaded into the portal, they are received into our finance system and will match to a CPLI. You can see if a visit has matched or not within the portal. The following are possible reasons a visit may not be matching:

• The package has not yet been set up (i.e., there is no CPLI in place in our finance system). Once the Systems Team add the CPLI, the visits will match – provided all the information you previously submitted is correct. If you incorrectly guessed any of the details, such as the service level, you would need to resubmit the data.
• There is a package (CPLI) but the date of the visit you have uploaded is before the start date or after the end date on the CPLI. Check the care package line items screen to determine which and correct date.
• You have used the wrong zone within the service name column – you need to check the service name applied to the CPLI for that service user. Correct the service name with the right zone and resubmit the data.
• Visits data has been submitted for cases that should not have been submitted – these visits would need to be deleted. E.g., Fully funded health packages (CHC), deceased cases, client has gone private.

Cancelled visits

If the service user gives the required notice, then the cancelled visit will not be paid for nor will the service user charged. If the service user does not give the required noticed, you will be paid for this visit and the service user will be charged for it. Therefore, it is important that you use the correct visit type to indicate the type of cancellation. The service user may also query why they have been charged for a visit and they can be advised that enough notice was not provided if we have this information.

Undeliverable visits

These are visits where your carer attempted the visit but was either turned away or not let in to provide the care. Providers will be paid for “Undeliverable” visits. Service users will be charged for “Undeliverable” visits

Hospital visits

If a service user is admitted into hospital and therefore the visit was not required, you need to use the relevant visit type to indicate this. This prevents the service user from being charged. Please refer to the relevant section of the user guide in order to request the hospital incentive payment.

Comments column

Use this column if the visit did not take place because:

1. it was cancelled
2. it was undeliverable
3. the client was in hospital
4. or if the visit was much longer than the planned time (exceptional visit)

Common errors

1. The visits file is not in a csv format
2. The visit reference in the first column has been duplicated elsewhere in the file
3. The start time and end time of visits are the wrong way round
4. There is an error in the year e.g., 2002 instead of 2020
5. The start date on the visit is before the CPLI start date
6. The end date on the visit is after the CPLI end date
7. The planned times do not equate to the total hours on the CPLI as agreed
8. The SSRef (our service user reference) is not correct or is missing the prefix A at the beginning of the reference
9. Random spaces in a cell
10. Mandatory cells left blank
11. Failure to upload in time
12. Not including all the headings on the file, even the optional ones
13. Wrong service level
14. Wrong service name

Frequently asked questions

Provider-led reviews

As part of the Live Well at Home contract, providers are expected to carry out planned Provider Led Reviews (PLR), but there may be occasions where an unplanned review is needed due to a change in circumstance or needs.

The process below will be available from late February 2023.

Adult Social Care will send you a link to the PLR form no later than the third week from the care starting, in order for you to be able to complete the review within the first six weeks. Once the form has been returned, Adult Social Care may need to follow up on the information you provide with a phone call.

If you have identified a change in need – Adult Social Care will carry out a reassessment and if necessary, update the service user’s support plan. A new care package line item will be added to the system to reflect the new or updated package of care.

For unplanned reviews, you will need to email the Review Team requesting the provider review paperwork is sent. Adult Social Care will then triage the request to decide if a review is needed or if it should be allocated to a social worker to carry out a reassessment.

Though providers are expected to complete these reviews as part of the Live Well at Home contract, you will be paid £25 for every annual or 4-6 review completed. Please note, the payment is not extended to unplanned reviews.

NB: The PLR form (and process) will be available from late February 2023.

Temporary variations

Provider-led review - Planned temporary increases to care

Providers are only able to request planned temporary increases to care packages. A planned increase to care is when the provider knows, ahead of time, that the person will need some additional support. For instance, the informal carer is going into hospital for one night on X date and therefore additional support is required for that person to cover that night.

Providers can request a temporary increase ranging from one visit up to a maximum of two weeks at a time.

You would need to get in touch with Adult Social Care. This form (and process) will be available from late February 2023.

You need to complete the temporary increase form within 24 hours before sending it back to Adult Social Care. Once the form is returned to Adult Social Care, our teams will review your request.

If some or all the additional visits or visit extensions you have requested are over 15 minutes, approval is required internally. You may be contacted by a member of the team to discuss your request. Once the request has been approved internally, the finance team will add the increase as a CPLI (care package) within the system. This will be a second/additional CPLI that is recorded.

If you believe the variation needs to be beyond two weeks, please contact Adult Social Care.

In the meantime, where a temporary change is needed (for example, for two weeks or less, where, for instance, someone needs extra visits due to informal carer being away, day service closed, extra visits needed to administer short term course of medication) this will be agreed via phone calls/emails. You need to update your care system with these changes. The new process described above will be available from late February 2023.

Key contact details

• Payments, Systems and Data Team

Version 2

Access your Provider Portal account

Create an account

Contact the Social Care Payments and System Data Team to request an account.

Provide:

• your name
• your organisation
• your address
• your telephone number
• your email address
• the Provider Portal email address, if different
• the access role you need

We will create your account and send your sign-in details to your registered email address.

Sign in to the Provider Portal

Sign in to the Provider Portal using your email address and password.

The first time you sign in, you will be asked to create a new password and a six-digit security code.

Your password must:

• contain at least nine characters
• include upper-case and lower-case letters
• include at least one number

When you sign in again, you will need your password and two randomly selected digits from your security code.

Payment schedules

If the contract you have with us requires the portal to be updated with visit data you have delivered, please ensure this data is uploaded into the portal. Only those visits that are matched to the CPLI will get paid.

Please note: this timetable is subject to change by a day or so to account for bank holidays and other operational requirements.

Visit data submission schedules

Under the Live Well at Home contract, visit data files must be uploaded weekly by 5pm every Thursday for the previous Monday to Sunday period.

Worked example

Mr A received care between Monday, 1 July and Sunday, 7 July. The visit file for this week's care needs to be submitted by 5pm on Thursday, 11 July.

The portal will be locked to prevent files from being loaded after the deadline. This is to allow time for the visit data to be checked and any queries dealt with ahead of the payment run.

Service users’ charges

Most service users make a contribution to the council for their care. These charges are generated using the visit data submitted by providers. It is therefore important that this information is accurate and received in a timely manner, as specified above.

Temporary variation 

A temporary change to a person’s care package is sometimes needed (for two weeks or less). 

Examples of this include:

• needing additional visits due to an informal carer being away
• someone’s usual day service being closed
• a short-term course of medication needing to be administered

If a temporary variation is required, you will need to call the relevant Adult Social Care team in advance on 03300 535120.

The Adult Social Care team will then record the reason for the temporary variation on our system. Approval is required for any increase in care. 

If the temporary variation is approved, you will receive an email to confirm this. If you do not receive email confirmation, it is likely that the temporary variation has not been approved.

Please ensure your visit file is updated to reflect the visits you are delivering while the temporary variation is in place.

Reablement and Discharge to Assess (D2A)

The Reablement and Discharge to Assess (D2A) pathways support people who are being discharged from hospital, or who may be able to regain skills and return to their baseline level of support. The Transfer of Care and Home First Teams decide which packages are managed through these pathways.

Once a package has been allocated through either D2A or Reablement, Oxfordshire County Council will set up the relevant payment records. These will show in the Provider Portal once they have been approved by the Home First Teams.

A person may move from the D2A pathway to the Reablement pathway where appropriate. A person does not move from Reablement back to D2A. After a package has been allocated, the Home First Team Case Worker will normally contact you to complete the relevant assessments and review arrangements. Only the Home First Teams can confirm whether a package is D2A or Reablement and which payment arrangement applies.

Payments for D2A and Reablement

Payments for D2A and Reablement packages are based on the service provision information uploaded by Oxfordshire County Council. Providers do not need to submit visit data or invoices for people on these pathways unless specifically asked to do so. If further information is needed, the Payments and Systems Data Team will contact you directly.

D2A one-off payment:

This applies when you take on a care package that is reviewed after 3 days and either closed or transitioned to long-term support. Oxfordshire County Council does not pay hourly support but provides a one-off payment of £250.00. 

Only we can define when someone moves off D2A support and onto the Reablement pathway. This is done through either a Trusted Assessor Assessment, after we have verified it, or an Oxfordshire County Council worker carrying out an assessment. 

If an assessment is delayed, for example, if it is not completed at the 72-hour point, and it is then determined that the care should cease immediately or move to long-term care, we will pay the difference between the 72-hour point and the end of that care at the hourly rate as a mitigation payment (£30.87 per hour).

If the assessment determines that the outcome is Reablement, only a Reablement payment is made from the start of care. This covers up to 42 days of support.

D2A enhanced support

This covers the actual cost of care provided, either through a daytime hourly rate, waking night support (9 hours), live-in support with or without breaks, or sleeping night support (9 hours) at the rates set out under the Live Well at Home contract. Payment arrangements may consist of one or more of these support types, depending on the person’s assessed needs.

Example 1

if a package of care is for a 12-day and 12-night package, we will pay you for 15 hours per day at an hourly rate of £30.87, plus 9 hours of waking night support at the rate of £242.48 per night. We will not pay the hourly rate for 24 hours per day.

Example 2

if you have four visits per day (QDS) with double-handed support and a waking night, you will be paid 4 hours at an hourly rate of £30.87 plus a waking night payment of £242.48 per night.

Reablement support

If a person is on the People at Home Reablement pathway, or has moved from the D2A pathway to Reablement, Oxfordshire County Council does not pay hourly for the support package. Instead, a one-off payment of £1,246.94 is paid for single-handed care, or £1,746.94 for double-handed care from 14 May 2026, to cover up to 6 weeks of support. The Reablement payment is designed to support delivery of the pathway, recognising that the cost of individual packages may vary.

Where Reablement support extends beyond 42 days, Oxfordshire County Council will make a mitigation payment from day 43 onwards until the end of the package at the applicable hourly rate (£30.87 per hour).

Provider Portal visits and payments

Check your payment date

View the Payment Schedules page.

The four-weekly payment timetable shows the date that funds should reach your account.

Upload or correct visit data after the cut-off

We lock visits and actuals at the end of each four-week period to review the data and process payments.

You cannot upload visit data while the lock is in place. Upload the data after we remove the lock. We will process it in the following payment run.

Contact Social Care Payments and System Data Team to arrange a suitable time for us to remove the lock.

Include:

• the SS reference numbers for the people receiving care
• the reason for the upload or correction
• the dates of the visits
• your preferred upload time

Choose a time between:

• 9am and 5pm, Monday to Thursday
• 9am and 4pm on Friday

Resolve service name and service level errors

An incorrect service name or service level can cause an upload error.

Check the Care Package Line Item (CPLI) in the Provider Portal:

1. select the Care Package Line Item icon
2. find the relevant person
3. check the service name and service level
4. update your visits file to match the CPLI

Upload visits before a CPLI appears

You can upload visit data after care starts, even when the Care Package Line Item has not appeared in the Provider Portal.

The Provider Portal will show these visits as unmatched. They will remain unmatched until we add the CPLI.

Find an SS reference before the CPLI appears

The eBrokerage system shows the person's SS reference.

Add the letter A before the number when entering the reference in your data file.

Investigate unpaid visits

An unmatched visit is a common reason for non-payment.

To find unmatched visits in the Provider Portal:

1. select the Actuals/Visits icon
2. select the relevant service
3. select the week from the options on the left
4. find the status options under Visits
5. filter the results by Unmatched

Correct the issue before the next payment run.

Investigate an unexpected payment amount

We calculate payments from the visit data files you submit. Check your file submissions against the payment received.

Give every visit a unique visit reference.

Do not reuse a visit reference in another period or file. Reusing a reference causes the system to overwrite the earlier visit data. This can create an unexpected adjustment.

Packages that do not need visit uploads

Do not upload visits for:

• waking-night packages
• sleep-in night packages
• live-in care packages

We calculate payments for these packages from the provision recorded in the system.

Check the CPLI screen for the weekly payment amount.

Check a D2A or reablement payment amount

Start by checking the dates covered by the payment period.

A payment period may cover only part of the support. Payment for the remaining period may appear in the next payment run.

Contact the Home First Team at HFNProviderPayments@oxfordshire.gov.uk when:

• the payment covers the full support period
• you still disagree with the amount

The Home First Team will send required payment amendments to the Payments and Systems Data Team.

Do not upload visit data for discharge to assess (D2A) or reablement support.

Upload this data only when we ask you to do so.

Report a missing D2A or reablement payment

Allow 14 days from the package start date for the payment to appear in the Provider Portal.

After 14 days, email HFNProviderPayments@oxfordshire.gov.uk and report the missing payment.

Temporary variations

Planned temporary variations

The Provider Portal will show planned temporary variations. The portal will issue a confirmation document after we process the variation.

The Provider Portal does not normally show emergency or unplanned temporary variations. The system records planned changes to service provision.

The relevant Adult Social Care team will confirm any temporary variation agreed with you.

Report a file upload problem

Contact Social Care Payments and System Data Team as soon as your system prevents you from uploading Provider Portal files.

Include:

• the reason you cannot upload the files
• the expected resolution time, where known

Payments when a person enters the hospital

You cannot claim a contractual notice payment solely because a person has entered a hospital and their care package has ended.

You may claim a hospital incentive payment. This pays 50% of the care package for:

• up to 14 days, or
• the period up to the date we gave notice

The shorter period applies.

Notice when a care package ends

The Live Well at Home contract provides two weeks' notice in these circumstances:

• the person, their family or representative wants to change care agency or end the care package
• Adult Social Care wants to change the care agency or end the care package, with no safeguarding concerns

Adult Social Care must give the notice. A person or family cannot give contractual notice directly to you because your contract is with Oxfordshire County Council.

Adult Social Care will normally give written notice. Continue providing care throughout the notice period. You will receive payment for the care delivered, with no additional notice payment.

Care ending before the notice period finishes

Care may end immediately or before the 14-day notice period finishes. You may then qualify for a payment covering the remaining notice period.

Contact Social Care Payments and System Data Team  to request an investigation.

Do not:

• send an invoice for the notice period
• submit a one-off claim for the notice period

Complete a planned provider-led review

The Live Well at Home contract requires providers to complete planned provider-led reviews requested by Adult Social Care.

At the beginning of the relevant month, Adult Social Care will email you:

• information about the review
• guidance
• a link to the provider-led review form

The form is held on a secure portal.

Complete and submit the form. Adult Social Care may contact you by phone to discuss the information.

Report a change in needs or circumstances

Tell Adult Social Care about any change in the person’s needs or circumstances.

Adult Social Care may arrange a reassessment instead of a provider-led review.

A new or amended Care Package Line Item will appear in the system after Adult Social Care updates the person’s support plan.

Request a review

Call Adult Social Care on 03300 535120 when you believe a person needs a review and Adult Social Care has not requested one.

Adult Social Care will assess the request and decide whether to:

• arrange a provider-led review
• allocate the case to a social worker for reassessment

Payment for planned provider-led reviews

Providers receive £29.07 for each planned provider-led review completed from 1 April 2024.

The payment will appear in the Home Support four-weekly payment run.

We do not pay for unplanned provider-led reviews.

We review the payment amount each year.

Contact the Payments and Systems Data Team about:

• uploading files
• using the Provider Portal
• payments

Email carepaymentqueries@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Care packages and urgent concerns

Contact Adult Social Care about a person’s care package or an urgent concern.

Call 03300 535 120.

Outside office hours, call the Emergency Duty Team on 0800 833 408.

D2A and reablement

For discharge to assess (D2A) and reablement payment queries, email HFNProviderPayments@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

For queries about a person’s care, contact their allocated link worker or email D2AHome@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

Quality of care

Report concerns about the standard of care to the Quality and Improvement Team.