Decision details

1.            That the direct award or extension of contracts to existing providers for the continuation of services for Learning Disabilities Services on the terms set out in the report be agreed. 

2.         That the extension of the contract for the Learning Disability Short Breaks Service on the terms set out in the report be agreed:

Reasons for Decision

1.         Direct award or extension of contracts for existing services is required to provide time to re-model and recommission in a strategic way in line with Adult Social Care strategic priorities in order to deliver service transformation and budget savings from 2017-18.

2.         The direct award or extension of contracts relating to existing provision allows the alignment of those contract end dates to fit with the phased start of the remodelled services. This avoids the Council being “out of contract” or tendering for very short term arrangements that would not be viable, or moving too quickly to individualised arrangements before building more mechanisms for choice of provider. It would help provide market stability and opportunity for market development prior to the establishment of Strategic Partners, a Framework Agreement and an Approved List as required in the Procurement Strategy.

3.         Adult Social Care Strategic Commissioning and Enterprise (ASC) is in the process of developing a Procurement Strategy for services for People with Learning Disabilities across the three boroughs, as detailed in a separate paper to be presented alongside this paper. The aim of the Procurement Strategy is to improve outcomes for customers by increasing choice and control through personalised services.

4.         Local authorities have a duty under the Care Act to ensure there is a viable market delivering choice for customers. It is intended to move away from the current commissioning and procurement cycle whereby contracts go out to tender every three to five years and are awarded to a small group of providers.  For people not wanting to hold direct payments, there would be contractual arrangements for providers delivering flexible support to ensure safeguarding, safety and quality of providers. Providers would set out clearly within each person’s individual service fund (ISF) arrangement the fixed or core costs of the service (night cover, shared support etc.) any management costs and the amount available for flexible support. These ISFs would be managed by a provider chosen by the customer and they would work together to plan how to use the flexible part of the customer’s Personal Budget. It is predicted that this model will bring in further providers as sub-contractors offering specialist services.