Issue - meetings

(Report of the Director of Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children). The report seeks agreement to the waiver of Contract Standing Orders in respect of four contracts for the provision of targeted support for children’s services for the Orthodox Jewish Community within Haringey.

Cabinet considered a report, introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children, which sought agreement to waive the requirement to use the quotation procedure under Contract Standing Orders (CSO) 8.01, as allowed under CSO 10.1, in respect of four contracts for the provision either of early education and childcare or of family support and children’s centre services targeted at the Orthodox Jewish Community within Haringey.

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to a waiver of Contract Standing Order (CSO) 8.01 (requirement to use quotation procedure for contracts valued £100k or less) as allowed under CSO 10.1 on the grounds that, as set out in CSO 10.01.1(d), that it is in the Council’s interests in respect of the following contracts:

Alternative options considered

The option of tendering all expiring contracts for 1^st April 2013 was considered and discounted on the grounds that:

The tendering process would need to be informed by a robust assessment of need; this exercise has already been commissioned by Public Health but is not scheduled for completion in the timescales needed for a tendering exercise to be completed; with contracts in place from the 1^st April 2013.

The proposal is for interim one year contracts with an option to extend for a further year.  This has been discussed with the Corporate Procurement Team, and it was concluded that the proposed approach represents the best and most appropriate way forward for the Council.  The option to deliver these in-house has been explored but at this time it is not feasible to develop alternative provision that is culturally appropriate.

It is intended that the initial one year contract period will enable the Children and Young People’s Service to maintain service provision whilst all contracts, monitoring processes and outcomes are reviewed as part of a move by the Children and Young People’s Service to an integrated commissioning process; with a particular focus on value for money.

Reasons for Decision

The four contracts expire on the 31^st March 2013 and as these services enable the Council to provide access to services for children and families from its Orthodox Jewish Community, it is necessary to make a decision to award a new contract.