Issue - meetings

Report ACH19021

The Committee considered a report seeking permission from the Portfolio Holder for agreement to proceed with a new procurement for services for the blind and partially sighted. The Council had a contract in place with the Kent Association for the Blind (KAB), a local voluntary sector organisation, to provide a range of services to visually impaired adults in Bromley.

The current contract had commenced in July 2016, for a two year and three month period, with the option to extend for up to a further two years on a 1+1 basis. The second and final contract extension was due to finish on 30^th September 2020 and permission was therefore sought to proceed with a new procurement for the period 1^st October 2020 to 30^th September 2024, with the option to extend for a further two years.

A Member highlighted that when the contract had gone out to tender previously, the Committee had requested that as part of the contract specification, the provider should be required to have a physical location within the Borough. The Head of Early Intervention, Prevention and Community Services Commissioning confirmed that this requirement could be included in the new contract specification.

A Member noted that paragraph 4.1.1 of the report stated that, ‘…KAB appear to be meeting the outcomes of Bromley service users’, and asked for more information relating to KPI’s. The Head of Early Intervention, Prevention and Community Services Commissioning advised that the KPI’s had changed mid-way through the current contract. The Occupational Therapy Service Lead further noted that she would be involved in work to improve the KPI’s.

In response to a question, the Occupational Therapy Service Lead said that an extremely positive stakeholder engagement event had been held the week previous. They had met with service users, some of whom had been using the service for more than twenty years.

RESOLVED: That the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the decision to proceed with a new procurement for the period 1^st October 2020 to 30^th September 2024, with the option to extend for a further two years.