Agenda item

Report of the Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Public Health that sought approval:

1.             To undertake a Direct Award under Process C of the Health Care Services Provider Selection Regime (PSR) 2023, including publication of a notice to make an award to the existing provider (as set out in schedule 3 PSR 2023) to Kooth PLC from 1 January 2025 for a core period of 3.25 years with the option to extend for a further 2 x 1-year periods, subject to satisfactory on-going performance and value for money being evidenced; and

2.             To give delegated authority for the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Public Health and Wellbeing, to authorise and execute extensions to the contract within the terms of the Direct Award.

The report indicated that Direct Award Process C was a method under the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 that allowed a relevant authority to award a new contract to an existing provider when an existing contract was due to expire, and the existing provider was satisfying the existing contract and likely to satisfy the new contract.

The following appendix was attached to the report:

·       Health Equity Assessment Tool

Decisions Made:

That

(1)      the Director of Public Health, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member - Public Health and Wellbeing, be authorised to make a Direct Award to Kooth PLC from 1st January 2025 for the provision of low-level online mental health support under Process C of the Provider Selection Regime. Advice has been taken from Procurement colleagues and a procurement evaluation exercise has been carried out and concluded to ensure Kooth is demonstrating satisfactory on-going performance and value for money; and

(2)      the Director of Public Health, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member - Public Health and Wellbeing, be authorised to exercise any extension options within the terms of the Direct Award.

Reasons for the Decisions:

1.       The current contracts would expire on 31 December 2024.

2.       The existing provider, Kooth PLC, was satisfying the original contract and was likely to satisfy the proposed new contract meeting the selection criteria for Direct Award Process C.

3.       Assurance of satisfactory performance was evidenced against the five key criteria for assessing provider eligibility under Direct Award Process C:

·       Quality and innovation

·       Value

·       Integration, collaboration, and service sustainability.

·       Improving Access, reducing health inequalities, and facilitating choice.

·       Social Value

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

1.       Direct Award Process A – while the service required highly specialist trained staff and digital infrastructure which limited the number of providers able to provide the required services, it was not considered that the existing provider was the only capable provider and the Council was not concluding a framework agreement. Therefore, Direct Award Process A was not appropriate.

2.       Direct Award Process B – it was not a contracting arrangement where people had a choice of providers, nor where the number of providers were restricted by the authority. Therefore, Direct Award Process B was not appropriate.

3.       Most suitable provider process – where the relevant authority was able to identify the most suitable provider, this option might be considered without running a completive process. This process was not required as the existing provider met the criteria for Direct award process C. Therefore, most suitable provider process was not appropriate.

4.       Competitive Process – The local authority was satisfied with the service that Kooth PLC provided and did not wish to undertake a competitive tender commissioning exercise when this would likely result in very little interest and potentially result in service instability.

5.       To not re-commission the Kooth service – this option was rejected as it opened the Council to reputational risk and would create a gap in the continuity of care that was currently offered to children and young people.