DECISION

1.    Approve the extension of the School Health and Wellbeing Service and Integrated Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Service (Safe East) for a period of 8 months to allow for the continuation of the procurement process and mobilisation of the new contract during term time.

Action by

ACTING CORPORATE DIRECTOR ADULT SOCIAL CARE (S. BANERJEE)

Associate Director of Public Health for Children and Families (K. Cole)

Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, introduced the report that sought contract extensions for the School Health and Wellbeing Service and the Integrated Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Service. Councillor Choudhury explained that whilst a procurement exercise had concluded,  evaluation had concluded the bid did not deliver best value for the requirements as set out in the service specification.

Katie Cole, Associate Director for Public Health, added further detail. Katie explained why an 8-month extension was desirable in this instance.

Further to his comments on the previous item (Item 6.4, Young People’s Supported Housing Pathway) The Mayor asked officers to note that he was minded to agree an eight-month extension to the contracts as an exception, but that ordinarily he insisted on open procurement wherever possible. He also asked officers widen future procurement exercises to ensure smaller providers were not excluded or did not face unnecessary barriers.

Julie Lorraine, Corporate Director Resources, explained that officers in her service had recently met with the Interim Corporate Director for Adult Social Care to agree new procurement processes to address backlogs and ensure that future resourcing was adequate.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Approves the extension of the contracts for the two services for a period of 8 months to allow for the continuation of the procurement process and mobilisation of the new contract during term time.