Holding your own: 5 key takeaways from our new guide to local authority partnerships

Holding your own: 5 key takeaways from our new guide to local authority partnerships

What if you could transform your relationship with your local authority? Imagine moving from a reactive supplier competing on price to a proactive, valued partner who can command sustainable rates. It’s not just possible – it’s essential for long-term success. And it starts with a new strategy.

Ready to transform your approach? Download the complete handbook, 'Holding your own with local authorities,' now.

The guide is packed with strategies, templates, and real-world advice. To get you started, here are five of the most important takeaways.

1. Shift your mindset from supplier to partner

The single biggest change you can make is to stop seeing yourself as a reactive supplier competing on price, and start acting like a proactive, strategic partner.

Commissioners are under immense pressure, and as Katie Wordley of Eleanor Care told us, contract decisions are increasingly being made “on the basis of relationships rather than on merit.” Your goal is to become a trusted, human advisor they can rely on, not just a faceless name on a procurement portal.

How to do it: Request a 15-minute introductory meeting, not to ask for a contract, but to understand their priorities for the year. Frame it as a partnership-building exercise to start the relationship on a collaborative footing.

2. Calculate and communicate your true cost of care

There is often a critical knowledge gap between providers and commissioners. As one provider shared, some officials see anything above the carer's wage as pure profit, missing the huge operational costs of running a safe, compliant service.

To have a sustainable conversation, you need to educate them. Stop negotiating from their proposed rate and instead, take control of the financial narrative by presenting a clear, evidence-based breakdown of what it truly costs to deliver high-quality care.

How to do it: Use our benchmarking calculator to deconstruct your hourly rate. Show every component, from carer pay and travel to insurance, training, and compliance. This turns an argument about price into an educational meeting about sustainability.

3. There is strength in unity

In a fragmented market, a single provider’s voice can be easily dismissed. But a collective one is impossible to ignore. Forming alliances with other local providers is the most powerful lever you have for change.

As Adam Saron of Care Bureau points out, this isn't illegal price-fixing. It's collective advocacy – the standard in almost every other industry. By coming together, you can negotiate for better terms, establish a fair cost of care for your area, and advocate for more sensible procurement processes.

How to do it: Start small. Identify two or three respected local providers and invite them for an informal chat about shared challenges. Focus on common ground to build trust before approaching the local authority as a united "Local Provider Forum."

4. Arm yourself with data to prove your value

When a commissioner asks why they should pay your rate when another provider is cheaper, your data is the only answer. In a value-led partnership, the provider with the best evidence of quality wins.

You need to move the conversation from your opinion of your quality to the facts of your quality. This means having an evidence pack ready for every meeting.

How to do it: Use your digital care management system to build your 'Quality Evidence Pack'. With Birdie, for example, you can instantly pull up reports to prove your reliability (99.5% visit verification), safety (99.9% medication accuracy), and responsiveness (50% faster alert response times).

5. Build your reputation outside the meeting room

A strong public reputation is a powerful, indirect lever in your negotiations. Commissioners and local politicians are highly sensitive to public opinion. When you're seen as a trusted, expert voice on social care in your community, the power dynamic changes.

The goal isn’t to publicly criticise the council, but to become the go-to expert for the local media and a constructive voice online. This positions you as a community asset, making it much harder for officials to treat you like just another line on a spreadsheet.

How to do it: Engage with your local councillors on social media constructively. Offer to be a source for your local newspaper on stories about care, and share positive, human-interest stories about the impact your team is making.

Take the next step

Transforming your relationship with your local authority is a long-term strategy, but it starts with these foundational steps. By shifting your mindset and arming yourself with the right tools and data, you can move from frustration to a sustainable, successful partnership.

Ready to dive deeper? Download your free copy of the complete handbook today for step-by-step guides, templates, and more expert insights.

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