Issue - meetings

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, which sought approval to extend the contract for the provision of community support items under the Discretionary Support Scheme (DSS).

The Board was advised that the DSS was in its fifth year of operation and provided two areas of support for members of the public - Emergency Support (food parcels and fuel support) and Community Support (household items).

It was reported that the current contractor for Community Support items was Argos, whose contract would expire on 31 March 2018. Given the current welfare reform changes, Members were advised that it was considered prudent to extend the existing contract whilst the impact of those changes upon DSS applications was assessed. It was also considered essential that the contractor was able to provide a wide range of items at relatively short notice and Argos had been able to demonstrate it was able to meet this requirement.

RESOLVED: That approval be given to the use of Procurement Standing Orders 1.14.3 ( c) and 1.14.3 (d), in order to waive Procurement Standing Order 3.1 in respect of the contract with Argos for the provision of community support goods for the Discretionary Support Scheme.