Agenda item

            The Sub-Committee received a report which sought the waiving of Procurement Standing Orders 3.1 to 3.8 which placed a requirement on the Council to tender for contracts with a greater value than £50,000 but not exceeding £1m.

            Members were advised that the current personal Advisor for Care Leavers contract had been in operation for five years and would terminate on 31^st March 2009. The current cost of the service delivery was £168,000.

            Members were further advised that the Service fulfilled the requirements placed on the Local Authority by the Children (Leaving Care) Act, 2000, Regulations and Guidance Chapter 6 Regulation 12: Personal Advisors. The Personal Advisor Service supported young people in making the transition from being in care to living self sustaining and fulfilled lives as independent members of the community.

            It was noted that following a competitive tendering process in March 2009, the Panel who considered the proposals from a number of organisations were unable to make a contract award to a single provider. This was primarily on the basis of service continuity for existing users, with no new provider able to meet the terms of the contract due to the length of the contract lead-in period.

            Therefore, approval to extend the existing contractual arrangements until 31^st March 2010 and to recommence a competitive tendering exercise for this service in September 2009, with a view to awarding a new contract from April 2010 was sought.

            The proposed tender process would enable the Council to update the service specification and to include improved outcomes nationally and locally for this vulnerable cohort. In addition, it was proposed that the revised specification would ensure that the service provider continually delivered a service that met identified needs.

            It proposed that the new contract would last for a period of three years and would offer an option to extend beyond that for a further two years, subject to specified outcomes being delivered and specified targets being met. 

            In considering the request to waive Standing Orders and due to the issues outlined in the report, the Sub-Committee felt that performance monitoring of the service provider by Members was necessary and agreed that a further report be submitted to the Sub-Committee detailing this information.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)    in the exceptional circumstances set out below, for the purposes of Standing Order 1.6, Procurement Standing Orders 3.1 – 3.8 be waived in order for the existing contractual arrangements to be extended until 31^st March 2010. During the period of extension, the Council would complete a competitive tendering exercise for the Personal Advisor Service for Care Leavers;

(2)       delegated powers be approved to enable the Strategic Director Children and Young People in consultation with the relevant Executive Portfolio Holder, subject to an evaluation of value for money in an open tender process, to award a contract to an external provider inclusive of the provision of management and administration; and

(3)       a further report be submitted to the Sub-Committee detailing performance monitoring of the service provider.