Issue - meetings

Report CEF20021

The contract with Riverside School for provision of Short Breaks for Disabled Children was originally awarded in May 2010 following competitive tender.  Further contracts were awarded in 2012, 2015 and 2018 via exemption to competitive tendering due to the specialist nature of the service, with a cumulative value to date of over £1m.  The current contract commenced on 1^st April 2018 and was due to end on 31 March 2021 with the option to extend for a further two years.  The estimated annual value of the current contract was £192,213 p.a. with a whole life value, inclusive of extension option, of £968,753.

In order to ensure timely confirmation of service continuity for a vulnerable cohort of children and young people with disabilities and their families the report proposed the application of the two year extension option at an estimated annual value of £196k with a revised end date of 31 March 2023.

The Integrated Strategic Commissioner introduced the report and explained that following publication of the report further comments had been received from the Council’s legal team however these comments had not affected the recommendation being made to the Leader.

The Committee noted that in terms of the summer holiday just gone, the service had been innovative and manged to successfully keep going with around 20 ‘bubbles’ each day on the play scheme and the Local Authority was looking to continue to support three excellent local providers.

RESOLVED: That

1.  The high quality of service provision from the staff at Riverside School Orpington, as detailed in the report, be noted; and

2.  The Leader, on behalf of the Executive, be recommended to approve the formal two year extension option for the Short Breaks for Disabled Children contract with Riverside School with a revised end date of 31 March 2023 at an estimated annual value of £196,057 p.a. (whole life value of £968,753 inclusive of extension).