Issue - meetings

Report CS17016

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report outlining a gateway review undertaken on four learning disability (LD) supported living schemes with contracts due to terminate in Spring/Summer 2017 which had a combined expenditure of £1.126m.  The schemes collectively accommodated 20 people with various learning and physical disabilities, including some with mental health issues.  The co-termination of schemes provided an opportunity for these schemes to be grouped together, which was expected to realise a range of benefits including lower bids resulting from economies of scale, more efficient use of resources, tenders that were more attractive for providers, and for specialist expertise to be shared across schemes.

The four schemes, comprising 109 Masons Hill, 111 Masons Hill, 18/19 Century Way and Dunstonian Court, had been commissioned during the past six years to provide care and support services for adults with learning and physical disabilities within supported living services, which aimed to maximise the independence of clients and support them to participate in activities within the community.  The schemes had a high occupancy rate, with three of the schemes experiencing no voids since being first commissioned and the fourth filling the small number of voids reasonably quickly, and the projection of supply and demand indicated that these schemes would be required for the foreseeable future.  It was proposed that the four schemes be progressed as a single tender for a period of three years with an option to extend for a maximum of two years to commence on 1^st July 2017.

In considering the report, Members discussed the 60% price, 40% quality criteria for the tender specification which was standard across all Local Authority contracts, and suggested that Members might want to review this going forward.  The Business and Planning Manager (ECHS) confirmed that robust quality assurance measures were in place to ensure that the standard of provision was maintained.  A recent analysis of a limited number of contracts under a 40% price, 60% quality criteria had shown that there would have been a different outcome from the tender process in some cases.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Agree to group the four schemes for tendering in order to drive the best possible quality/pricing;

2)  Agree an exemption to enable the extension of the 109 Masons Hill scheme for 10 weeks from 23^rd April 2017 to 30^th June 2017 with a value of approximately £60,684, and co-termination with the 111 Masons Hill scheme; and,

3)  Approve the commencement of the procurement procedure to enable award in accordance with the Council’s financial and contractual requirements.