Issue - meetings

Declarations of interest made for this item:

None.

RESOLVED

That pursuant to Contract Standing Order 18.02 (contract variations & extensions), and 0.0.8 (approval by Cabinet Member), the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning (Deputy Leader) approved:

1.    The extension of the contract for the provision of a mobile workforce management system to Total Mobile Limited for an additional 11 months from 23 November 2025 to 22 October 2026 at a cost of £202,028.

2.    The development fees and project management costs of £40,049 associated with Connect dashboards development and upgrade to Mobilise platform.

3.    Agreed the total costs contained within Appendix A - Exempt Report.

Reasons for decision

Service Continuity:

Total Mobile has been the primary system supporting repairs operations. Extending the contract ensured the continuity of service, which was fundamental for maintaining consistent and reliable repairs provision and directly impacted tenant satisfaction and overall service quality. A change at this time would introduce significant risk until such time as the backlog of repairs has been cleared in full.

Strategic Procurement Planning:

Digital Services were currently planning a full procurement for a new Mobile Workforce system. This 11-month extension provided the necessary time and stability to conduct a thorough procurement, implementation, and transition process, mitigating the high risk of operational disruption associated with a new system deployment.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Meeting Awaab's Law and HHSRS: The upgrade from the legacy Connect Mobile platform to Mobilise was essential for regulatory compliance as the current system was in a maintenance-only phase and could not support new legislative demands. Awaab's Law, effective from October 27, 2025, set out strict statutory deadlines for social landlords to investigate and resolve hazards. The Mobilise platform provided the necessary capabilities, including a live audit trail of actions, investigations, and works completed, which was critical to evidence compliance and avoid legal action. Furthermore, Mobilise supported the full suite of 29 Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) forms, including Asbestos management, resolving a major limitation of the current platform.

Financial Prudence

Cost-Effectiveness: Extending the existing contract was a commercially advantageous and cost-effective decision. The current agreement was based on the G Cloud 12 procurement framework, which had a lower pricing structure than the current G Cloud 14 framework where all suppliers had increased prices. Exercising the final 11-month extension under the existing terms maximised the time the Council benefited from the commercially lower legacy pricing structure.

Minimising Disruption:

Staff were already trained and familiar with the Total Mobile system. Extending the contract minimised disruption and the need for additional training and allowed the team to focus on their core responsibilities without the need to adapt to a new housing system.

By extending the contract with Total Mobile, officers were making a strategic decision that prioritised operational stability, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement in our repairs’ operations.

Alternative options considered

Do Nothing: This option was rejected as the current contract expires on 22 November 2025, which would leave the service without a mobile workforce management system and pose a  ...  view the full decision text for item 6.