Decision details

1.    That Part B report is exempt from disclosure on the grounds that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding that information) under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

2.    That the Cabinet Member waive the application of the Council’s Procurement Code as detailed at 3.16 of the report which, at the annual value noted in appendix A of the part B report would otherwise give rise to the requirement of inviting a minimum of three quotes through the Council’s Capital Esourcing e-tendering system.

3.    That approval be given to continue existing service provision by extending the current contract for an interim period of six months from April 2017 to September 2017 paid pro-rata at the previous 2016/17 annual value for a monitoring and tracking service for all young people aged 16-19 and the assessment of children and young people who are eligible for an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Current arrangements for SEN, data tracking and survey work are fragmented across the three boroughs with multiple providers delivering different but related elements of work.

There are a range of proposals in place to redesign these services in the future, including greater alignment of services across the three boroughs, transparency of service delivery for staff and commissioned providers in their areas of responsibility and improved value for money. To this end there is a need to refresh the current commissioning arrangements and these proposals will be detailed in a forthcoming strategy.

The proposed extension period requested in this report with allow for the necessary stakeholder consultation, procurement timescales and governance to ensure a streamlined and fit for purpose model is commissioned from September 2017 onwards.