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Decision details

Contract Award decision - Services for Older People and Carers

Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Family Services and Public Health

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

Authority is sought to directly award time limited interim contracts for older people and carers services within Westminster due to expire in 2019.

This decision will enable service continuity for residents with established providers whilst a number of transformation initiatives are undertaken to inform future competitive tendering activity.

Decision:

1.1         Officers asked that the Cabinet Member for Family Services and Public Health approve a waiver to the requirements and process of Section 3.14  of the Westminster Procurement Code to conduct competitive exercises in respect of the below services in accordance with the boroughs’ Procurement Code.

 

1.2         Subject to approval of the waiver, officers asked the Cabinet Member for Family Services and Public Health to directly award the 14 contracts in Westminster City Council to the incumbent providers at a total cost of £2,798,626.

 

1.3         Officers asked that the Legal Comments in section 11 of the report be noted, and that a balanced approach to risk management be taken as set out in section 7.

 

2.4      Officers also recommended that delegated authority was granted from the Cabinet Member for Family Services in Westminster City Council to officers to enable the full terms as agreed within the interim contracts to be utilised as required.  This would expressly enable flexibility to extend the direct award beyond its initial duration as per the terms of the contract.  For avoidance of doubt this authority did not go beyond the maximum durations as set out within the report.

 

2     REASONS FOR DECISION 

 

2.1         The Council had clear duties around service provision under the Care Act 2014:

·         Prevention: The Council must provide or arrange services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support or delay people deteriorating such that they would need ongoing care and support.

·         Assessed Need: The Council had a duty to carry out an assessment of anyone who appeared to require care and provide or organise support as required

·         Carers: The Council had a duty, further to an assessment, to provide a care and support plan to Carers.

 

2.2         There were also a number of key national and local drivers informing the need for ongoing service provision, including:

·      Prime Ministers Challenge on Dementia 2020.

·      England’s National Dementia Strategy.

·      National Carers Strategy 2010 set out the government’s 10 year strategy for supporting carers.

·      National Carers Action Plan 2018 – 2020 setting out how to improve support for carers.

·      Bi Borough Health and Well Being Board Dementia and Isolation agendas.

 

2.3         The reasons for awarding the interim contracts fundamentally enabled continuity of essential services to vulnerable residents whilst key transformation initiatives were undertaken to reshape future delivery of services and improve outcomes for older residents. 

Publication date: 24/01/2019

Date of decision: 24/01/2019

Effective from: 01/02/2019

Accompanying Documents: