Issue - meetings

Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin and Cllr Kathy Williams, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contract(s) for Children’s and Adults advocacy services from 30th September 2022 and to award such contract(s). The proposed model provides for a contract divided into the following 2 lots:

Lot 1. Independent Advocacy Health and Social Care for Adults.

Lot 2. Independent Advocacy for Children and Young People.

This would allow an alignment of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults, Children and Young people to meet the Council’s statutory duties laid down in the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act 2005, the Care Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989, in addition to the Human Rights Act of 1998.

This aligned contract(s)for the duration of the term and saved resources for Commissioning and support services in a joint procurement exercise. In addition, it had the potential to gain more interest in the marketplace.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate  authority to the Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Public Health in consultation with the Executive Director of Children’s Services, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Delivery and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following two lots:

a) Lot 1: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults; and

b) Lot 2: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Children and Young people.Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer or awarded to twoseparate tenderers. The contract(s) shall continue for an initial periodof five years and include an option to extend their terms for a furtherperiod of not more two years.

2. Reserve the council a right under the above-mentioned contract (Lot 1) insofar as it relates to Independent Advocacy Services for Adults to modify its provisions following the introduction of anticipated legislative changes Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Liberty Protection Safeguards, changes arising from the Mental Health White Paper and the expectation of increased demand for advocacy for self-funded clients. It is anticipated that such changes will result in increased requirement to commission additional volume of existing statutory advocacy for adults (up to an additional 50%), depending on yet to be released Government guidance.

3. Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderer(s) for the specified period of five years.

4. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend the term of the contract(s) for a further period of not more than 2 years on the expiry of the initial 5-year term.

Cllr Carole Allaway-Martin and Cllr Kathy Williams, sought Cabinet permission to invite tenders for new contract(s) for Children’s and Adults advocacy services from 30th September 2022 and to award such contract(s). The proposed model provides for a contract divided into the following 2 lots:

Lot 1. Independent Advocacy Health and Social Care for Adults.

Lot 2. Independent Advocacy for Children and Young People.

This would allow an alignment of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults, Children and Young people to meet the Council’s statutory duties laid down in the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health Act 2005, the Care Act 2014 and the Children Act 1989, in addition to the Human Rights Act of 1998.

This aligned contract(s)for the duration of the term and saved resources for Commissioning and support services in a joint procurement exercise. In addition, it had the potential to gain more interest in the marketplace.

Having considered all of the information. Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Adult Social Care and Public Health in consultation with the Executive Director of Children’s Services, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Delivery and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years to:

1. Conduct a competitive procurement process in respect of the following two lots:

a) Lot 1: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Adults; and

b) Lot 2: The provision of Independent Advocacy services across Health and Social Care for Children and Young people. Such lots may be awarded to the same tenderer or awarded to two separate tenderers. The contract(s) shall continue for an initial period of five years and include an option to extend their terms for a further period of not more two years.

2. Reserve the council a right under the above-mentioned contract (Lot 1) insofar as it relates to Independent Advocacy Services for Adults to modify its provisions following the introduction of anticipated legislative changes Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and Liberty Protection Safeguards, changes arising from the Mental Health White Paper and the expectation of increased demand for advocacy for self-funded clients. It is anticipated that such changes will result in increased requirement to commission additional volume of existing statutory advocacy for adults (up to an additional 50%), depending on yet to be released Government guidance.

3. Award such contract(s) to the preferred tenderer(s) for the specified period of five years.

4. Determine whether to exercise the option to extend the term of the contract(s) for a further period of not more than 2 years on the expiry of the initial 5-year term.