Cheshire West and Chester Council has approved plans to bring its own social care company back into the council.

The council will change the governance model of Vivo Care Choices, a council-owned company delivering support for people with learning disabilities and older people so that services are provided in-house.

It said the new arrangement will help it take advantage of more opportunities for innovation, integration and joint working between the council and NHS when Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group is dissolved in March 2022.

It will also remove any extra monitoring and reporting that is needed when services are commissioned, and will strengthen the financial security of Vivo.

Cllr Val Armstrong, the council's cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said: 'With the opportunities arising on the back of closer integration between the council and NHS, it makes sense to bring Vivo back in the council rather than as a standalone company.

'There will be plenty of chances for us to innovate and continue developing Vivo’s services, creating benefits for the people being supported across Cheshire West and Chester.'

All staff will move back across to the council, with the new governance model aiming to be complete by March 2022.