Issue - meetings

(a)        Public Health Nursing Services

Report of the Chief Officer for Communities, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity on the procurement of public health nursing services,attached.

(b)        Re-procurement of Integrated Children’s Services

Report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (CS/17/13) on the process for a procurement exercise for new contract/arrangements for commissioning of children's social care services,attached 

The Cabinet’s attention is also drawn to the Report of the People’s Scrutiny Committee’s Spotlight Task Group (CS/17/11) on the above, attached.

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Chief Officer for Communities, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity on the procurement of public health nursing services and the Report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (CS/17/13) on the commissioning of integrated children's social care services.

The Cabinet also had regard to the Report of the People’s Scrutiny Committee’s Spotlight Task Group (CS/17/11) looking, in particular, at the future options for the provision of public health nursing services, which had favoured Option 3 namely bringing the service back ‘in-house’.

The Cabinet had previously acknowledged that in respect of existing services,  Commissioning Partners were committed to continuing strong working arrangements both as a commissioning partnership for children, young people and families and as part of the Devon Children, Young People and Families Alliance. 

Further and specifically relating to:

(a) Public Health Nursing Services

(Councillors Brazil, Dewhirst, Hannan, Julian, Randall Johnson and Westlake attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Report of the Chief Officer for Communities, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity outlined the results of the consultation previously authorised by Cabinet before any determination of future arrangements, in line especially with the following options:

·          negotiating a 12 month interim contract(s) for the provision of children’s services to allow for a full procurement with a contract start date of 1 April 2019 incorporating 0-19 Public Health Nursing Services;

·          proceeding with independent procurement of 0-19 Public Health Nursing services; or

·          transferring the 0-19 Public Health Nursing Service to Devon County Council from 1 April 2018, under the management of the Director of Public Health (as the statutory Director) until such time as strategic discussions on the configuration of children’s services were complete and a decision made on future commissioning/provision arrangements.

While, at that time, it had not been anticipated there would be any need for substantive changes in service provision as a result of any of the above options the Cabinet had nonetheless endorsed the approach outlined above (and set out more fully in Report CS/17/6) in the interests of openness and transparency, to ensure the County Council determined the means of providing those services for which it was responsible.

As set out in the Chef Officer’s Report now submitted, Members noted that the consultation on the procurement of public health nursing services had revealed a clear majority among public, users, staff and practitioners for Option 1 above.  Further, and following those considerations and having regard to a subsequent review of all the facts (including the views of the Spotlight Task Group referred to above) the revised risk assessment and the importance of ensuring that local services were commissioned in accordance with a shared strategic approach, the Cabinet was now recommended to adopt Option 1. Members acknowledged that while that this option might not offer the greatest financial certainty for Public Health Devon, the continued benefits of working together with partners and maintaining a period of stability for a further year would provide the opportunity to plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 168