Agenda and minutes

Approval to Commission Independent Fostering Agencies via a DPS and Approval to Commission Residential Children’s Homes Placements, Cabinet Member Signing - Thursday, 29th May, 2025 3.30 pm

Venue: Alexandra House, 10 Station Road, London, N22 7TY

Contact: Ayshe Simsek, Democratic Services and Scrutiny Manager 2929, Email: ayshe.simsek@@haringey.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
1.	FILMING AT MEETINGS View the background to item 1. Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on. By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings. The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council. Minutes: The Cabinet Member referred to the filming at meetings notice and this information was noted.
2.	APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE View the background to item 2. To receive any apologies for absence. Minutes: There were none.
3.	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST View the background to item 3. A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered: (i) must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent, and (ii) may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room. A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure. Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct Minutes: There were no declarations of interest.
4.	URGENT BUSINESS View the background to item 4. Minutes: There was no urgent business.
5.	DEPUTATIONS / PETITIONS / QUESTIONS View the background to item 5. Minutes: There were none.
6.	Approval to Commission Independent Fostering Agencies via a Dynamic Purchasing System for Children Services PDF 376 KB View the background to item 6. Additional documents: Final IFA EQIA. May 2025docx , item 6. PDF 674 KB Minutes: The report sought authority to undertake a procurement exercise to commission Independent Fostering Agencies (IFA) placements for children looked after via Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) ensuring compliance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The Council had a statutory duty under Section 22G of the Children Act 1989 to provide sufficient local accommodation for looked after children. This required local authorities to take steps that secured, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation within the authority’s area which met the needs of children that the local authority was looking after. The Council currently spot purchases foster care provision from a range of IFAs due to insufficient capacity within in- house foster carers. Setting up the Council’s own Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) would support in budling a long-term arrangement with providers, focusing on developing closer relationships. This would assist Haringey in managing the market, controlling costs and working in partnership to increase the number of foster placements within the Borough to support children looked after. In 2023/2024, 123 children looked after were placed with IFAs and £5.8 million was spent on this provision. As of Feb 2025, 87 children looked after were placed in IFA placements In FY 2024/2025, £5.1 million was spent on independent fostering. A new DPS would be established and the estimated spend up to 4 years term was estimated at £22.5 million. This figure included an annual inflation of 4%. The new DPS would enable the Council to commission fostering placements for children and young people from IFAs until such time as the Procurement Act 2023 (Commencement and Transitional and Savings Arrangement Regulations 2024) permit, currently not being less than 4 years. The Cabinet Member RESOLVED 1. To approve the estimated spend of up to £22.5 million on Independent Fostering Agencies over a period of 4 years via the DPS which is inclusive of annual inflation of 4%. 2. To approve the commissioning fostering placements from Independent Fostering Agencies for Children looked after via the corporate DPS pursuant to Regulation 34 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. 3. Where contracts valued at £500,000 or more that require approval by the Cabinet Member as per Contract Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1 d) or modified as per CSO 10.02.1 b) (variations and extensions to contracts of £500,000) or more; to delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Lead member for Children’s, Schools and families to award, vary or extend any individual call offs or block contract arrangements under the DPS to successful providers up to £1 million per award or any individual variation and extension. Reasons for decision Services would be commissioned through Haringey’s DPS and be aligned to the procurement regulations, ensuring compliance and flexibility in developing the provider market. The Council had a statutory requirement to provide accommodation for children who were in its care and to improve outcomes and actively promote the life chances of children they look after. It was the responsibility of local authorities to act as the best possible ... view the full minutes text for item 6.
7.	Approval to Commission Residential Children's Homes Placements via a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Children in Care PDF 337 KB View the background to item 7. Additional documents: Final Childrens Residential Homes EqiA May 2025 , item 7. PDF 773 KB Minutes: The report sought authority to undertake a procurement exercise to commission Children’s Residential Home Placements for children looked after via Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) ensuring compliance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Council had a statutory duty to ensure there is a range of local homes available, sufficient to meet the needs of the children in the care of the local authority. The Council currently spot purchased children’s residential home placements. Setting up the Council’s own DPS would support in budling a long-term arrangement with providers with a major focus on developing closer relationships with registered Children’s Homes in Haringey. In 2023/2024, £8.5 million was spent on registered children’s homes placements for children looked after. This included providers registered for residential family centres and secure accommodation. Compared to FY 2022/2023, this is a decrease of £370,000 due to the initiatives in place to step down children looked after from residential care with reunification back home or into foster care according to their needs. In FY 2024/2025, £9 million was spent on children’s homes placements. This included providers registered for residential family centres and secure accommodation. As of Jan 2025, 26 children looked after were placed in children’s residential homes. The estimated spend up to 4 years term is £39.7m (annual costs of £9m). This figure included an estimated annual inflation of 4%. The new DPS would enable the Council to commission Children’s Residential Home placements until such time as the Procurement Act 2023 (Commencement and Transitional and Savings Arrangement Regulations 2024) permits, currently not being less than 4 years. The estimated annual expenditure on providers registered to care for children looked after with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities was estimated at £6.9 million and would enable the Council to deliver its statutory duty and ensure good quality homes which represented value for money. The Cabinet Member RESOLVED 1. The estimated, spend of up to £39.7 million (annual costs of £9m) on children’s residential placements over a period of up to 4 years which includes an estimated annual inflation of 4%. 2. The commissioning of Children’s Residential Homes for Children Looked After via the corporate DPS pursuant to Regulation 34 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. 3. Where contracts valued at £500,000 or more that require approval by Cabinet as per Contract Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1 d) or modified as per CSO 10.02.1 b) (variations and extensions to contracts of £500,000 or more; to delegate authority to the Director of Children Services in consultation with the Lead member for Children’s, Schools and families to award, vary or extend any individual call offs or block contract arrangements under the DPS to successful providers up to £2 million per award or any individual variation and extension. Reasons for decision Approval to procure residential children’s homes placements via the DPS would ensure compliance with Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Haringey’s Looked After Children’s Sufficiency 2022- 2026, set out actions to improve the availability, quality, and impact of placements as well as ... view the full minutes text for item 7.