Agenda item

Report ACH21-016

The Committee considered a report outlining proposals relating to the learning disability complex needs day service.

The Council had a contract in place with the Southside Partnership (also known as Certitude) to provide learning disability supported living and community-based day and respite services. Executive approval was obtained in November 2019 to extend the contract for a period of up to 2 years from 1^st October 2020 to 30^th September 2022. The Council was unable to reach mutual terms to extend the contract as originally intended and subsequent negotiation has resulted in a 6-month extension of the contract to 31^st March 2021.

At the Adult Care and Health PDS Committee meeting on 24^th November 2020 Members scrutinised a report that set out the procurement proposals in relation to these services, and the report was subsequently agreed by the Leader. Future learning disability day provision was being divided so that people with lower needs would receive their services from community based locations that were spot purchased or funded via direct payments, and people with complex needs would receive a building-based service. The report provided focussed upon the building-based complex needs day service which had been subject to a full tender process.

The tender process for complex needs day services closed on 4^th February 2021 but did not attract any compliant bids; the report provided Members with details of the negotiated process that was now being followed and the interim arrangements that were required. The report sought Member agreement to a contract variation and extension of the current block contract with Southside Partnership to enable service provision whilst the negotiation and contract award processes were progressed, and the new contract was mobilised.

In accordance with the Council’s financial and contractual requirements, the Executive were requested to agree the variation and extension of the block contract with Southside Partnership. The contract extension would commence on 1^st April 2021 for a period of up to 5 months and a value as detailed in the Part 2 report to enable the provision of complex day services as the lockdown was eased and whilst the negotiation / mobilisation process of a new contract was completed. The block contract extension would end as soon as contract implementation with a new provider could be achieved. The cumulative spend in relation to the block contract since 1^st October 2015 was detailed in the Part 2 report along with the total contract expenditure.

In response to a question, the Head of Complex and Long-Term Commissioning advised that the original contract with the Southside Partnership was for 5 years with a 2 year extension. They were currently five and a half years into the contract, which allowed this element to be extended for a further 5 months, as it still fell within the overall contract period.

A Member noted that the tender process had not attracted any compliant bids and asked if the reasons for this had been identified. The Head of Complex and Long-Term Commissioning said that they had spoken with providers involved in the tendering process who advised that there had been concerns regarding the TUPE transfer of staff and the time required to undertake due diligence.

The Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Health expressed her thanks to the Head of Complex and Long-Term Commissioning for the work undertaken to ensure continuity of the contracts and service provision.

RESOLVED that the Executive be recommended to approve the variation and extension of the existing block contract with Southside Partnership to provide building-based complex needs day services, the extension to commence on 1^st April 2021 for a period of up to 5 months to 31^st August 2021 at a cost detailed within the Part 2 report; this would increase the total expenditure on the Southside Partnership block contract since 1^st October 2015 to the amount detailed in the Part 2 report.