Agenda item

Report of Chief Officer Adult Care and Health and the Chief Officer Children’s Services (ACH/18/76) on the Joint Carers Service tender process and provision of Carer Support Services for Adult Carers (Lot 1) Young Carers (Lot 2), attached.

An Impact Assessment is also attached.

(Councillors Brazil and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

(Councillor Parsons declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in this matter by virtue of being a foster parent and their partner in receipt of the fostering payment and withdrew from the meeting during its consideration).

The Cabinet considered the Report of Chief Officer Adult Care and Health and the Chief Officer Children’s Services (ACH/18/76) on the Joint Carers Service tender process and provision of Carer Support Services for Adult Carers (Lot 1) and Young Carers (Lot 2).

Carer Services in Devon were provided under joint commissioning arrangements between the Council, Northern, Eastern and Western (NEW) Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and South Devon and Torbay, with the Council as the lead agency.

The Adult Carers (Lot 1) supported the objectives and outcomes of the Joint Strategy for Adult Carers and the specification was outlined in the Report. It would also work to the same practice standards as DCC care management staff, including promoting independence and building carer resilience.

The Young Carers Service (Lot 2) had been designed to be delivered as part of Devon’s Early Help Offer, adopting a multi-agency partnership approach whereby targeted service intervention would be provided for young carers. The design of the targeted service offer (Getting Advice, Getting Help, and Getting More Help) had been influenced by what young carers had said during the engagement activities.

The total estimated value of Adult Carers (Lot 1) was £10.9 million over 5 years, and for Young Carers (Lot 2) £1.125 million over 5 years. The contract would be for a 5 year term with an option to extend for up to two further single year periods.

It would also consolidate changes arising from the Care Act 2014 and Children and Families Act 2014 as well as taking account of extensive engagement and feedback from carers.

The Report outlined in full the engagement and consultation process (including 21 full and half-day engagement events with Carers over a period of 4 months) as well as online surveys and a "drop-in" engagement event during Carers' Week.

The Chief Officer’s Report also incorporated an Impact Assessment relating to the possible impacts of the proposal, which had been circulated previously for the attention of Members at this meeting in order that as part of its determination of the next steps in the process the Cabinet might have full regard to the responsibilities placed upon it to exercise its Public Sector Equality Duty, under s149 of the Equality Act 2010. This was undertaken at the pre-procurement stage of the project and the outcomes reflected the construction of the tender and contract documentation The Equalities Impact Assessment was available at;

https://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/published/page/3/  

The assessment recognised the potential for a positive impact of the new contract and that no unmanageable impacts had been identified.

It was then MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Clatworthy and

RESOLVED that the press and public be now excluded from the meeting during subsequent discussion on this matter under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act namely, the financial or business affairs of a preferred bidder or tenderer for the provision or supply of council goods or services, and in accordance with Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by virtue of the fact that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

[NB: The following part of the Cabinet’s proceedings on this matter took place, as summarised below, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 and, with the consent of the relevant Scrutiny Committee Chair, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 during which the press and public were excluded; no representations having been received to such consideration under Regulation 5(5) of the aforementioned Regulations].

The Cabinet then received the Report of the Chief Officer Adult Care and Health, and the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (ACH/18/77) on the outcomes of the procurement process leading to the Council’s contract for the Joint Carers Services; Adults Carers (Lot 1) and Young Carers (Lot 2).

The Cabinet further noted that the procurement process had been conducted in line with EU Procurement Regulations and was fully compliant.

Following discussion of Report (ACH/18/77) and having had regard to the information therein, the Cabinet was of the view that the press and public need no longer be excluded from the meeting during its final determination of the matter and:

It was then MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Clatworthy and

RESOLVED that the press and public be now readmitted to the meeting. 

Following further comment and discussion and in replying to the debate and in commending the adoption of the recommendations now before the Cabinet, the Cabinet Members’ for Children’s Services and Schools and Adult Social Care and Health added their support for the proposals.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, carbon impact, risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

It was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED that the contracts for the Joint Carers Services be awarded as follows:

(a) Lot 1 Adult Carers - Westbank Community Health and Care; and

(b) Lot 2 Young Carers - Westbank Community Health and Care

[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside the agenda and reports of this meeting and may also be available at:  http://new.devon.gov.uk/impact/].