Agenda item

[Report of the Director of Adults and Health. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-being]

The report will seek a waiver for direct award of contract for a 9 month period for the Information, Advice and Guidance services contract.  The contract allows sufficient time to go out to tender for a new service over the next 9 months.  It is vital the service is delivered whilst the re-design continues to ensure there is support available to our residents whilst we finish the re-commissioning process.

The Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-Being introduced the report which sought approval to award a contract for the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Service to Haringey Citizen’s Advice Bureau for a period of 9 months with effect from 1 July 2021. The pandemic had highlighted the importance of providing information, advice and guidance to residents at all times. Awarding a contract for 9 months would allow for learning and modelling of a new service to provide the best quality service whilst achieving value for money.

The Cabinet Member and Beverley Tarka – Director of Adults & Health – responded to questions from Councillor Palmer:

-           The pandemic had changed the way that services were provided to residents and had moved to mainly telephone and online services. This proved to work for some residents but also highlighted that this approach did not work for everyone.

-           The remodelling of the service would be carried out in consultation with service users and the teams who worked with them.

RESOLVED

1.         To approve, in accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 10.01.1(a), the award of a contract for the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Service to Haringey Citizens Advice Bureau for a contract period of 9 months with effect from 1st July 2021.

2.         To Note that the total cost of the Contract for the period 1st July 2021 to 31st March 2022 is £612,000.

Reasons for decision

The provision of high quality, accessible and locally relevant information, advice and guidance for Haringey residents is of primary importance to the Council. It is therefore in the Council’s overall interest to award this contract whilst thorough recommissioning of a new service is completed.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed a planned recommissioning process in 2020, as Council officers and local service providers channelled all available capacity into the provision of support to residents. The recommended contract period will allow sufficient time to complete the tender process for a new contract, which will continue seamlessly from the end of this one, ensuring the best service for residents. The recommissioning process has already begun, with the tender process starting in June 2021 with a market engagement event. The process will be concluded, with a new contract starting from 1st April 2022.

The time to conduct a full recommissioning and service reshaping exercise will ensure the recommissioned service is responsive, flexible and strategically aligned. The newly commissioned Information, Advice and Guidance service will strengthen a range of Council priorities and work areas, including our commitments around housing, domestic abuse and employment, as well as the work of the Fairness Commission and Welcome Advisory Board.

Remodelling will also provide a shift in service delivery of IAG in the borough, drawing out learning from the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure broader access to the service and varied modes of online and face-to-face delivery.

Alternative options considered.

Do nothing. It would be possible to let the current contract run to its end and not renew it, as there is no statutory requirement to provide information, advice and guidance in this way. However, there is a demonstrable need for Information, Advice and Guidance in Haringey, which the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated. As such it would not be in the best interests of the Council or our residents to have a gap in service delivery whilst the new contract is commissioned.

Insourcing. The provision of this service as a directly delivered service was robustly explored. This was not found to be suitable as the provision of independent advice and casework around statutory decision-making and other issues directly related to the Council’s work is a key element of this service, therefore creating potential conflicts of interest and reducing resident confidence in the service.