Agenda item

          The Board considered a report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services, that sought approval for a series of staged extensions via requests to various contractual waivers, in compliance with Procurement Standing Orders 1.14.4.3 and 1.14.4 iv seeking to waive parts 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders. The waivers were for several contracts identified in the report and overarching rationale was provided for each, alongside individual contractual considerations. The eighteen short term extensions would allow:

·       a focused workplan to be spread more equitably across the financial year, resulting in contract end dates of April and October respectively and allow a dedicated focus on each contract;

·       the allocated commissioning officers time and space to fully review each contract, allowing for more options to be considered, including the use of open and competitive tenders, or longer-term direct awards, based on quality audits of the outcomes achieved across the specification key performance indicators; and

·       the Procurement Team time to plan the preferred options into their annual work schedules.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the report be noted; 

2)    approval be given to the Emotional Health and Wellbeing contract with Barnardo’s being extended for 12 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive parts 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders;

3)    approval be given to the Advocacy and Independent Visitor (CRAIV) contract with NYAS being extended for 6 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive parts 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders; 

4)    approval be given to the Personal Assistant Services contract with Positive Futures Consultancy being extended for 12 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders;

5)    approval be given to the Specialist Children’s Domestic Abuse Service contract with The Children’s Society being extended for 6 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders;

6)    approval be given to the Friendships Groups contract with VIBE being extended for 6 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders; 

7)    approval be given to the Specialist Seating contract with Newlyn Healthcare being extended for 12 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.3 (non-emergency procedures – not exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders; 

8)    approval be given to the Supported Accommodation contract with P3 being extended for 12 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.4 (non-emergency procedures – exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders;

9)    approval be given to the PAUSE and REACH Programmes contract with PAUSE Halton being extended for 12 months, in pursuance of Procurement Standing Order 1.14.4 (non-emergency procedures – exceeding a value threshold of £100,000), seeking to waive part 3.1 and 3.2 of Procurement Standing Orders; and

10) the re-commissioning of each service, via open competitive tender, or otherwise, at the extended contract end dates, be undertaken by the Children’s Head of Commissioning and Quality Assurance in liaison with the Portfolio Holder for Children’s.