Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – People, which requested approval for Halton Borough Council to lead the procurement of services to encourage, enable and assist young people to participate in education and training.

It was reported that local authorities had a duty to make available to all young people aged 13-19 and to those between 20 and 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan; support that would encourage, enable and assist them to participate in education or training.  Since April 2014 the 14-19 Team within Halton had implemented the Halton Participation Strategy to meet these duties, as required under Section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. 

The report outlined Halton’s previous collaborations with Knowsley, Liverpool and Wirral Authorities, to commission a service to provide information, advice and guidance to young people where Halton took the lead. 

Knowsley and Wirral Local Authorities had once again requested Halton to act as lead for the upcoming procurement process.  In order to make this procurement process as efficient as possible for the authorities involved, approval was sought for Halton to lead the procurement process for a joint service across Halton, Knowsley and Wirral Local Authorities, beginning April 2022.

Details on the procurement process, the expected contract values and benefits of the proposal were provided.

RESOLVED:  That the Board

1)    notes the report; and

2)    approves Halton Borough Council acting as lead in a joint procurement process with Knowsley and Wirral Local Authorities.