Issue - meetings

Report CS17039

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report setting out the reasons for establishing a new Framework Agreement for the provision of essential household items needed to meet the basic requirements of homeless people leaving temporary accommodation and moving into settled accommodation.

The Welfare Reform Act 2012 ended the provision of Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans under the Discretionary Social Fund for living expenses provided by the Department for Work and Pensions with funding transferred to local authorities from 1^st April 2013.  Whilst there was no statutory duty requiring local authorities to deliver a specific scheme to administer this funding, the Local Authority considered it was in the best interests of the community to run such a scheme, and in July 2014 the Resources Portfolio Holder approved the adoption of a white goods and furniture welfare scheme from 2015/16.  It was agreed that the scheme would be restricted both in terms of eligibility criteria and goods available (such as cookers, fridges and beds) which had been identified as the minimum items required for the Local Authority to meet its statutory duty to provide suitable settled accommodation for statutory homeless households, such as for people leaving temporary accommodation or an institution. 

A Framework Agreement consisting of three lots comprising the supply and fit of specified white goods, beds and household goods had been tendered in early 2015 following which three companies had been appointed to the Framework.  The services purchased through the Framework had been generally satisfactory, excepting problems with one provider regarding the health and safety of gas cooker installation that had now been rectified but which had highlighted the risk of having so few providers on the Framework.  It was therefore proposed to establish a new Framework Agreement from 1^st April 2017 to allow for a significant increase in providers to be appointed to the Framework, reflecting changes in the market and supporting increased competition.  It was proposed that the Children’s Leaving Care Team be given access to the Framework to purchase essential household goods for care leavers to realise value for money and reduce delays in moving care leavers into independent living.

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Assistant Director: Housing Needs confirmed that there were sufficient funds remaining in the Discretionary Social Fund to support this scheme for four years, after which Members would need to consider if there was a business case to continue to fund this non-statutory service.  Members requested that usage of this service be monitored, particularly relating to the number of service users assisted and those signposted to other services, and any cost savings realised by reducing delays in moving service users into permanent accommodation.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder for Care Services be recommended to agree to proceed to procurement to establish a new Framework Agreement for the provision of essential household goods to commence on 1^st April 2017 to 31^st March 2021 for a period of four years.