Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Built Environment

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Built Environment that explained the contract framework offer received from A4E Ltd. for the Council (through Sefton@Work) to act as its sub-contractor delivering “end to end” services as part of the Department for Work and Pensions Work Programme.

The report indicated that the Work Programme was the Government’s response to tackling worklessness and unemployment and was a new initiative due to commence in June 2011.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)       the contract framework agreement offered by A4E Ltd. to assist Sefton residents into employment be accepted and the Head of Corporate Legal Services be authorised to enter into the necessary sub-contract work for the Work Programme; and

(2)       it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but, unfortunately, had not been included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.  Consequently, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services) had been consulted under Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by this Committee as a matter of urgency in view of a request from the prime contractor (A4E) for an accelerated acceptance of a contract under the DWP Work Programme which carries an obligation for timely acceptance.