Issue - meetings

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Health and Wellbeing that  sought approval to complete a tender exercise to re-procure the Community Programme of the Living Well Sefton Service (LWS) which was due to expire on the 31^st March 2019. The procurement exercise would be an enhancement of the current service and would include;

·       An LWS service enhancement to incorporate delivery of the Health Check programme in line with its revised budget reduction

·       A formal alignment of Early Intervention and Prevention Level 3 (EIP3) outcomes linked to current models of delivery 

·       An enhancement of the current LWS delivery model to extend the provision and emphasis of financial advice and support, in line with increased demands of local people, for welfare advice and signposting due to public sector reform.

·       A revised re- procurement would involve one single community contract. This would complement the current Stop Smoking contract (expires 31^st March 2019 with option for 3 x 1 year extensions) and the existing internal Active Sefton SLA.

A procurement exercise based on a lead provider would ensure effective coordination, robust performance management, appropriate sub-contracting and governance arrangements to support this revised and enhanced model.

Decision Made: That the Cabinet:

(1)            authorise the Director of Public Health to conduct an OJEU Light Touch Regime tender exercise for the LWS to run for a period of three years from 1^st April 2019 with the option of two further one-year extensions;

(2)            note that the exercise included an ability to build into the procurement, a scoring criteria for the successful lead provider to clearly demonstrate how community providers would deliver the model using the voluntary, community and faith sector (VCF). Procurement Services would support Public Health to develop the scoring criteria to ensure this is done effectively and appropriately, and will be based on MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender) taking into consideration a balance between quality and cost. Once the scoring criteria have been developed, formal approval of weighting will be sought from Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing;

(3)            note, a comprehensive early intervention and prevention service (LWS) remains in Sefton and incorporates the Health Check programme;        

(4)            agree that the current contracting position will change, where multiple contracts will be replaced with one single prime community contract, which will sub-contract health and well-being services from the VCF; and

(5)            approve the basis of evaluation of the tenders as set out in this report; and the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, be granted delegated powers to award the new contract to the highest scoring bidder(s) in accordance with the approved basis of evaluation and to report on the outcome to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.