Issue - meetings

Report of the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director)

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director) that sought approval to commence a procurement exercise for the provision of Healthwatch services.

Decisions Made:

That

(1)      the commencement of a procurement exercise to establish a new contract post-31 March 2025 for the provision of Healthwatch services, be approved;

(2)      any decisions regarding the Healthwatch services procurement exercise be delegated to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health;

(3)      decisions on the commissioning / procurement model, tender evaluation criteria, contract terms and conditions, and service specification to be applied to the procurement exercises, be delegated to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health, on the basis that the contract can be contained within existing and approved budget provision for such services;

(4)      the contract be awarded for an initial contract term of three years with the option to further extend for a period of up to two years, either as a single extension or via two separate twelve-month extensions, subject to satisfactory performance anddemonstration of value for money of the successful supplier, and the required budget being available, and that decisions on the awarding of the contracts, and any permitted extensions thereof, be delegated to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health and Deputy Leader;

(5)      in the event that it be identified during the contractual period that the contract needs to be amended to reflect factors such as increases in demand for Healthwatch services or changes in national funding arrangements, then delegated authority be granted to the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health to approve any such variations, under the proviso that they fall within the associated delegated authority and are in line with the applicable procurement regulationsand the cost can be met from within the services budget; and

(6)      the Executive Director - Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing (Place Director), in consultation with Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health, be authorised to implement a maximum six-month extension to the current Adult Social Care commissioned Healthwatch service contract, in order to ensure that a compliant procurement exercise can be conducted, to ensure that Healthwatch services continue to be delivered and to also ensure that sufficient notice period is given to the current Provider so that wider principles such as those within the New Realities agreement are met.

Reasons for the Decisions:

To ensure that a procurement exercise took place, and existing contractual arrangements were extended to ensure ongoing delivery of Healthwatch services post-31 March 2025.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.