Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Adults and Health. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health]

This report details the outcome of a mini-competition process conducted under the Council’s Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Services Framework Agreement and seeks approval to award a ‘Call-Off’ contract to the successful tenderer.

The Cabinet Member was delighted to present the report which enabled the Council to bring back into use two sites at Waltheof Gardens for day opportunities for people with a range of needs. The key focus of the report was the provision of care and support to people with complex learning disabilities and autism, potentially with behaviours that challenge, in a day opportunities setting to enable them to lead fulfilling lives.

The Cabinet Member advised that the Council were using the Positive Behaviour Support Framework because the people taking up this provision will have a range of needs which can be best supported by the tailored and specialist offer of a skilled positive behaviour support provider. This provider was a voluntary sector organisation delivering London Living Wage to all its employees and who would be working with the Council to enhance staff skills and capability in this area.

Further to considering exempt information at item 26,

RESOLVED

1. To agree an increase to the total value of the PBS Framework from £7,000,000 to £10,500,000; and

2. Pursuant to CSO 7.01 (b) (by selecting one or more contractors from a Framework) and CSO 9.07.01(d) (All contracts valued at £500,000 or more may only be awarded by Cabinet), to award a contract for PBS day opportunities services to the successful bidder for a period of four years (4) from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2024 and a maximum value of £3,500,000 (three million five hundred thousand pounds) under the PBS Framework.

Reasons for decision

The PBS framework was let in 2017 at a value of £7,000,000 (seven million pounds) over a four-year period. Whilst take-up of the framework was slow at the start, there has been renewed interest as the Council has redeveloped three Council owned assets and brought two new and significant services into the borough: supported living provision at Linden Road for people with very complex needs and day opportunities provision on two sites at Waltheof Gardens, again for people with complex learning disabilities and autism. The nature of the positive behaviour support (PBS) service offered is highly specialised to meet the complex and varied needs of the individuals involved. The fact that these services are coming on stream together means that the value of the framework needs to be increased, with the cost of the approach exceeding the original estimates. The framework did not guarantee any volume or value of work to the providers admitted to it. It remains the case that the scope of the framework will not change, and that the PBS service delivery approach will return cost efficiencies and assist the Council to meet its Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) savings targets.

All five framework participants were invited to tender. The tenderers’ proposals were evaluated using a 50% quality and 50% price weighting and, on this basis, the recommended Provider is deemed to be the most economically advantageous tender representing the best value option to deliver the required service.

Alternative options considered

The option not to proceed was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 167