Issue - meetings

Report CS17066a

The Care Services Portfolio Holder introduced a report providing an update on the tendering of the Carelink (including Telecare) service which had not resulted in the recommendation for award.

A community alarm and telecare service, Carelink supported approximately 1700 Bromley service users to live more independently and with the ability to call for assistance if required, including 713 social care clients and approximately 1000 self-funding clients.  Whilst this was not a statutory service, it supported the Local Authority in meeting its statutory duty under the Care Act 2014 to support and promote wellbeing and to help people remain as independent as possible in their homes.  The current service was managed through separate contracts for supply and installation of equipment and call monitoring/handling of the alarms, as well as an in-house mobile response service. 

Three options had been considered for the future delivery of this service and it was recommended that Option 3 be progressed which was to competitively tender the existing contracted elements of the service and continue to deliver the response service in-house. 

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Approve Option 3 to Report CS17066a, and agree that the supply, installation and maintenance of equipment be competitively tendered for a period of three years with an option to extend for a further two year period to be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Care Services and the Chief Officer, and that the response service be retained in-house on a formal trading account;

2)  Agree to continue the spot purchasing arrangements with Red Alert Telecare Ltd for equipment installation services, pending the result of competitive tendering; and,

3)  Agree to extend the current contract with Tunstall Healthcare (UK) Ltd for the supply of equipment for up to one year, pending the result of competitive tendering.