The pre-decision scrutiny questions were noted.

DECISION

1.    Approve the direct contract award request for the Tower Hamlets Young People’s Supported Housing Pathway (YPSHP) for six months from the 1^st of December 2023 to 1^st of June 2024 with a value of £675,892.43.

2.    Note the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Action by:

ACTING CORPORATE DIRECTOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES (L. FRASER)

Acting Director Commissioning and Youth (L Richards)

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning (Statutory Deputy Mayor)) introduced the report that requested approval for direct contract awards for services to provide safe alternative to housing 16/17-year-olds and young people aged 18-25 who are in and on the edge of care and homeless young people,from 1 December 23 until 1 June 2024 to enable time to implement the newly transformed Tower Hamlets Young People’s Supported Living Pathway.

The pre-decision scrutiny questions and responses were noted.

Further to questions from Cabinet members, •   Lisa Fraser, Acting Corporate Director, Children's Services and Layla Richards, (Head of Strategy and Policy – Children and Culture) provided detail on the monitoring arrangements in place for the proposed contracts.

The Mayor reiterated his comments about the undesirability of  direct awards and extensions (see minute for Item 6.1).

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Approves the direct contract award request for the Tower Hamlets Young People’s Supported Housing Pathway (YPSHP) for six months from the 1^st of December 2023 to 1^st of June 2024 with a value of £675,892.43.

2.    Notes the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.