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Agenda item

[An item to be considered by the Cabinet in accordance with the Cabinet Procedure Rules and Regulation 5 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, no  representations having been received to such consideration taking place under  Regulation 5(5) thereof].

 

Report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (ACH/17/58) on Children’s Centre Services tender and award of contract, attached.

 

Minutes:

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

 

(Councillor Hannaford declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Member of the Advisory Board for West Exe Children's Centre).

 

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (ACH/17/57) on Children’s Centre Services tender and seeking approval for the award of contract.

 

The report outlined that the Children’s Centre Services were the key delivery mechanism for the local authority to meet its statutory duties referenced in the Children Act 1989, the Childcare Act 2006 and Working Together 2015, in order to improve the wellbeing of young children and reduce inequalities as well as to achieve the best start in life.

 

Following consultation in 2014 the following principles were agreed: focussing services on the most vulnerable, reducing building costs, funding front line delivery, encouraging others to deliver some universal services from Children’s Centre buildings and reduce the numbers of contracts from 43 to 8 aligning to city/council boundaries.

 

The new commissioning model was adopted and the Children’s Centres in Northern Devon and the South West areas were completed by April 1st 2015 with 6 contracts let aligned to district council boundaries. The recent procurement in Northern Devon and South and West Devon culminated in one provider being successful in all contract areas which realised further efficiencies in management costs.

 

It was now proposed to further rationalise the contracts, in order to increase service provision (to families with children aged 8 and under), into one contract covering the authority boundaries of the Council.

 

The Cabinet noted that the total estimated value of the Children’s Centre Services contract was approximately £29.5 million over 5 years (3 year term with an option to extend for up to a further 2 years) and also the context and contract design of the Children’s Centre Services. Furthermore, robust performance measures would be in place to ensure the effective delivery of the service including the transition to targeted services and increase in eligible families.

 

The Chief Officer’s Report also incorporated an Impact Assessment relating to the possible impacts of the proposal, which had been circulated 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.

 

That assessment recognised the positive impact of the proposals in terms of the continuation of work alongside partners to provide a specialist targeted support offer focusing resources on children 0-3 and a new service specification to provide the opportunity for families with children aged 5 to 8 years to receive a targeted family support offer through their families attending an evidenced based parenting programme. The development of a co-dependant service specification with the Public Health Nursing service would also provide an opportunity to develop a seamless service for families creating a pathway of support. Therefore, in summary, there had been no unmanageable impacts identified with the assessment.

 

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

 

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it 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 persons tendering for the provision of council goods or services and of the County Council, in both cases, 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.

 

The following part of the Cabinets 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) during which time the press and public were excluded; no representations having been received to such consideration under Regulation 5(5) of the aforementioned Regulations.

 

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services (ACH/17/58) summarising the procurement procedure and necessary financial considerations relating to the formal award for the Children’s Centre Services contract.

 

The procurement process was conducted in accordance with EU Procurement Regulations and in line with Part 2, Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR 2015) – Social and Other Specific Services, the full details of which were described in report (ACH/17/58).

 

Following discussion of Report (ACH/17/58) 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 re-admitted to the meeting.

 

Following further comment and discussion and in replying to the debate the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Schools commended the recommendations now before the Cabinet.

 

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 Chief Officer’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

 

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

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the contract for Children’s Centre Services be awarded to Action for Children Services Ltd; and

 

(b) that the County Solicitor be authorised to execute all necessary legal agreements required to be entered into by the Council in respect of the contract for Children’s Centre Services

 

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

Supporting documents:


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