Decision details

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Corporate Resources which sought approval to extend the current Agency Workers Framework Agreement for a period of 12 months from 1st February 2017 until 31st January 2018.

The report indicated that since January 2014, the Council had used this Framework Agreement whenever it had needed to employ Agency Workers. The Framework Agreement was procured collaboratively with other Liverpool City Region authorities and it had been presented for decision in line with the collaborative procurement timetable led by another authority.

Decision Made: That

(1)       approval be given to the extension of the current Agency Workers Framework Agreement for a period of 12 months from 1February 2017 to 31 January 2018; and

(2)       it be noted that collaborative procurements are likely to increase, and collaborative procurement processes be improved through the Liverpool City Region Procurement Hub Project.

Reasons for Decision:

There was an ongoing need to employ Agency Workers in some service areas, to ensure sufficient capacity is available for those services to be provided safely and effectively.

Since February 2014, Agency Workers had been supplied through the MSTAR Framework Contract. The 3-year core period of the Contract expired at the end of January 2017 and the Council need to determine how it would procure any necessary Agency Workers beyond that date. The current Framework Contract included the option to extend for a 12-month period to 31 January 2018.

Analysis of the options available had identified that extending the current contract would cost approximately 16% less than other options. It was therefore considered appropriate and beneficial for Sefton Council to extend the Framework Agreement for the optional 12-month period, 1 February 2017 until 31 January 2018.

During the 12-month extension period, the future provision of Agency Workers would be further considered by Liverpool City Region (LCR) authorities, within the context of the LCR Procurement Hub Project, with pre-procurement analysis, options appraisal and planning commencing early in 2017 ahead of an anticipated joint procurement of a new service to replace the current Framework Agreement at the end of its full contract term (31 January 2018). All options would be analysed and considered, including utilising existing Framework Agreements and a full OJEU collaborative procurement process.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

To carry out a full EU compliant Tender exercise or adopt an alternative Framework Agreement.