Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member considered the exempt information.

The Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children, and Families considered the report which sought to enter into call-off contracts for the purchase of Library Stock with the preferred Contractors Supplier A and Supplier B for a period of 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years as allowed under the Council Contracts Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1(d) for a total contract value of not exceeding £1,000,000.

It was noted that the contract was broken down in the following Lots:

Lot 1 (Adult Stock & Reference) – Supplier A

Lot 2 (Children’s Stock) – Supplier B

Lot 3 (Audio Visual Stock) – Supplier A

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED

1.    To give approval for the Council to enter into Call-off contracts with Supplier A and Supplier B for purchase of library stock in accordance with Contract Standing Order 7.01(b) and Contract Standing Order 9.07.1(d) for a maximum value of £1,000,000. Details of Suppliers A and B is outlined in Appendix 1 - Part B (exempt information) of the report.

2.    To agree that the contract period is 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2025 (with an option to extend for up to a further 2 years).

Reasons for decision

Library services contribute to key priorities 2, 3 & 4 by providing access to education, learning and employment opportunities through the resources they provide and staff expertise. They are at the heart of communities and help to foster a sense of place, helping to combat social isolation, improving wellbeing and growing local economy by increasing access to business opportunities.

The purchase of stock is budgeted for and forms a fundamental part of Business As Usual. Library stock is a core element of the service. It provides communities and individuals with access to materials that facilitate learning for all ages, it supports educational attainment, helps to improve literacy levels and to get people into further education and the work place. It combats social isolation, for example though book groups and baby and toddler storytimes.

Failure to provide quality library stock impacts significantly on the levels of use and the ability of libraries to contribute to the Council’s priorities; it carries a reputational risk for the Council and compromises our ability to comply with the Public Libraries Act of 1964.

In order to ensure compliance with procurement legislation and ensure value for money, strategic procurement led a Mini Competition exercise in accordance with CSO 7.01(b). The ESPO Framework, Library Stock supply (ref 376F_18) was used. The tender was sent to three suppliers (industry leading suppliers) that were registered in the Framework Agreement. The Mini Competition was based on:

Price 50%

Quality 50%

The reason the above evaluation weighting was applied was to ensure the Council’s requirement for high quality, sensitive, accurate and critical data was met by the winning supplier/s.

The Pricing Schedule for each Lot was a shopping basket of 50 books (for Lots 1 and 2 and audio visual material for Lot 3), that suppliers were asked to bid for (net  ...  view the full minutes text for item 80

The Cabinet Member considered the exempt information.

The Cabinet Member for Planning, Licensing, and Housing Services considered the report which detailed the outcome of an open tender process and sought approval to award four (4) contracts to the successful tenderers for the Provision of Housing Related Support (HRS) Single Homeless Pathway Services in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1 (d).

It was noted that, subject to approval, the contracts would be awarded for a period of four (4) years commencing from 12th March 2022 to 11th March 2026 with an option to extend for a further period, or periods, of up to a total of three (3) years.

The Cabinet Member RESOLVED

1.    To approve the award of contracts for the provision of HRS – Single Homeless Pathway Services to the successful tenderers (identified in Appendix 3 - Part B (exempt information) of this report), for a period of 4 years commencing from 12th March 2022 to 11th March 2026 with an option to extend for a further period, or periods, of up to 3 years, in accordance with Contract Standing Order 9.07.1(d).

2.    To approve the aggregated cost of the contracts for the initial period of 4 years will be £4,276,297 inclusive of London Living Wage (LLW). For a duration of 7 years (if the extensions are invoked) would be £7,593,503, inclusive of annual inflationary increases for contractual years 5, 6 and 7.

3.    To note that insufficient tenders were received for two (2) Lots, please see Appendix 3 - Part B (exempt information) referenced later in this report at paragraph 6.7.8 in the report.

4.    To note that a further procurement process will be undertaken as a matter of priority to commission the remaining units. Prior to this, feedback will be sought from bidders and partners to ensure retendering is effective and the new service model is fully in place by March 2022.

Reasons for decision

There is clearly evidenced demand for services that support residents around the wide-ranging needs and circumstances that contribute to, and cause, homelessness. Dedicated supported housing services provide a flexible and person-centred service approach to resident helping people maintain and establish sustainable housing, overcome health inequalities, and recover from other experiences that contributed to their homelessness.

The Single Homeless Pathway operates to prevent homelessness, facilitate rapid hospital discharge, and smooth prison releases for people with ongoing support needs. The pathway supports residents to develop and strengthen the skills required to sustain independence. There is a continuous and high demand for supported housing, with residents referred via London Probation Service, Barnet, Haringey, and Enfield Mental Health Trust (BEHMHT) and Homes for Haringey’s Housing Needs Service. These services make a key contribution to the health and wellbeing of local residents and there is both a strategic need and evidence base to support the award of these contracts.

The Homelessness Reduction Act (2018) brought about a range of changes to the way that local authorities respond to households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. A key element of the new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69