Decision details

That the Council’s Executive be requested to approve the following proposals:

a)  Market testing for all relevant Education Services via a tendering process for a single ‘bundle’ of services for a contract with a minimum term of five years with appropriate extension options;

b)  The commencement of discussions with relevant schools for a contract for services for the Primary Hearing Impairment Unit and Secondary Deaf Centre;

c)  The retention of appropriate in-house capacity (in relation to the services in the scope of this report) to ensure the Council can provide strategic leadership and management of the delivery of Education Services, with the details to be finalised aligned with the market testing of services and the on-going Baseline Review process; and,

d)  Sustained sold service delivery for relevant Education Services so that they can form part of the market testing approach for the future delivery of services.

That the Council’s Executive be requested to agree:

a)  That the market testing programme be overseen by the Commissioning Board; and,

b)  That a further report detailing the outcome of the market testing and recommendations be reported to a future meeting of the Council’s Executive, and that this report describe how quality of service and support for children be monitored and enforced.

The market testing proposals are in line with the Council’s Corporate Operating Principle and target operated model of a commissioning-led Local Authority.  The proposals are in line with the Education Covenant and the Academy agenda.