Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Director of Young People and Families which provided details of proposals to invite tenders for a four bedded residential children’s home as part of the Department for Education Innovation Programme to develop an adolescent service to commence in Summer 2015.

Decision Made:

(1)       the tender process for the provision of a four bedded residential children’s home as part of the adolescent service be approved;

(2)       the Director of Young People and Families be authorised to approve the short list of providers for the contract subject to the appropriate review of the Pre- Qualification Questionnaire;

(3)       the tenders  be evaluated using the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 2.3 of the report; and

(4)       the Director of Young People and Families be authorised to award the contract to the highest scoring tenderer.

Reasons for Decision:

Sefton Council was currently developing a comprehensive Community Adolescence Service with significant financial support from the Department for Education Innovation Programme in the shape of a £1.1m grant.  As part of this development and in keeping with the detail of the grant application the Council was seeking a partner from the Independent Sector to provide a dedicated residential care home. For the chosen provider of the residential care home, this represented an exciting opportunity to contribute to a new way of working with a high DfE profile. 

The successful application by the Council to the Department for Education (DfE) outlined the partnership of the programme across statutory partners, the voluntary and the independent sector.  The application specifically outlined the proposal to engage with an independent children’s home provider for the supply of a four bedded home.  This multi-sector partnership was seen as demonstrating the innovation that the DfE were seeking in making awards.  There were currently 30 children’s homes registered with Ofsted in the Borough, of these 3 (10%) are provided by the Council with the others being provided by the independent sector including some voluntary sector provision.  In total these homes provide more than 130 beds with less than 30 of those beds being occupied by Children “Looked After” by the Council. In 2014/15 the Council spent £4.3m on residential care.  Reducing the high costs of this provision is one of the purposes and success factors of the Innovation Programme.

The average cost of each of these beds was £2,500 per week, therefore the potential gross turnover of this sector, assuming full occupancy, is £16.9 million per annum.

The DfE Innovation Programme was a pilot and if it is not successful in supporting fewer adolescent children coming into care then it would not continue. Partnering with the independent sector was therefore not only innovative but reduced the risk to the Council during and beyond the lifetime of the programme.

There would be no capital costs incurred by the programme. It was expected that the conditions of the contract would achieve a 25% reduction in unit costs due to the “block” nature (4 beds) of the contract  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families on proposals to seek tenders from a partner from the Independent Sector to provide a dedicated four bedded residential care home as part of the Department for Education Innovation Programme to develop an adolescent service. The new service to commence in summer 2015.

Decision Made:

That the report be deferred for consideration at a future meeting of the Cabinet.

Reason for the Decision:

To enable further clarification on the issues set out in the report to be given.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.