Agenda item

North West Flexible Purchasing System for Children & Young People with SEND

Report of the Head of Communities

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Communities that sought approval to join and progress the procurement of a flexible Purchasing System (FPS) for purchasing services for Children & Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) as part of a North West regional collaboration of 23 local authorities.  The procurement was being undertaken by Cheshire East Council under the ‘light touch regime’ for social and other services as listed at Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and would result in a Flexible Purchasing System being available.

 

Decisions Made:

 

That:

 

(1)

the commencement of a procurement exercise, to be led by North West Placements and Cheshire East Council as part of regional joint working arrangements, which will encompass a Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) being implemented for the provision of services for children and young people with SEND, be approved;

 

(2)

the Head of Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools and Safeguarding be granted delegated authority to make decisions regarding the FPS procurement evaluation criteria, service specification and contractual terms. Such decisions will be made in advance of any procurement exercises commencing and will be collective decisions by all participating authorities;

 

(3)

following its establishment, authorise use of the FPS for the future procurement of services for children and young people with SEND, where an options appraisal, as described in this report, has determined it to be the most appropriate approach, be approved; and

 

(4)

the awarding of any contracts called off the FPS be delegated to the Head of Communities and nominated Service Managers.

 

 

Reasons for the Decisions:

 

The Joint Commissioning Strategy for SEND 2020 –2023 was agreed by the Health and Wellbeing Board in March 2020.The purpose of the Strategy and associated Action Plan being to deliver improved outcomes for children and young people with SEND across the local area. It identified a number of needs which included:

 

a.      Ensure that we jointly commission services with a clear assessment of local needs, delivering personalised integrated support that delivers outcomes and brings support together across the system

b.      Improves our local offer so that the experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families and carers receive joined up services that are easy to navigate, accessible and available to our children and young people and their families.

c.       The Strategy will inform the development of robust priorities and effective joint working which will inform commissioning intentions and meet local needs more effectively.

 

If approved the recommendations in this report will enable the Council to source placements for children and young people aged 0 – 25 years that have an Education, Health and Care plan (ECHP), using the Flexible Purchasing System (FPS)at Independent and non-maintained special schools and post 16 institutions.

The anticipated benefits of a regional contract include, consistency in the services and outcomes required by placing local authorities, streamlined processes for commissioning placements and an improved route to market, increased transparency and clarity on the marketplace in the region (in relation to services/ placements, outcomes and costs), regional approach to engaging with providers and shaping/ developing the market.

Outcomes for children and young people would be met through ensuring that the most appropriate selection of a placement is made to meet needs.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

 

1.          Maintaining the status quo –this was not considered a viable option as currently there is no coherent model for Local Authorities to transparently procure SEND placements and to ensure that there is an evidence base regarding decisions made as to why a placement was secured. 

 

2.          There are increasing cost pressures and taking a regional approach to the procurement of placements will enable the collation of data/intelligence on placements which can be used to develop a regional commissioner -provider relationship.

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: