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Agenda item

Managed Service - Children's Services

Minutes:

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing presented a report which sought approval from Cabinet to directly award a ‘managed service’ contract to an independent organisation currently delivering the service in Bridgend County Borough Council’s (BCBC) Children’s Services, to ensure continuity in child safeguarding arrangements. Cabinet approval is being sought to suspend the relevant parts of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) with regards to the requirement to re-tender the ‘managed service’ element of the contract detailed in this report.

 

She provided background as set out in section 3 of the report. Since the implementation of the Innovate managed team, advertising for permanent vacancies in Information, Advice and Assistance team (IAA) has been ongoing. At present, notwithstanding the additional team implemented in IAA, the vacancy rate remains high at 50%, which increases to 60% once absence is considered.

 

Officers containing representation from a number of key areas, including Children’s Services, Commissioning, Procurement and Legal have met to consider and risk assess/appraise the short-medium term options for securing services beyond 18th March. Further details were at section 4 of the report.

 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing  stated that to ensure continuity and knowledge of the existing provider, it is proposed that Cabinet suspends the relevant parts of the Council’s CPRs – requiring a competitive procurement exercise in accordance with the requirements of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 – and agrees to the awarding of the managed service contract to the current provider for a 12 month period from 18th March 2023, with an option for two further 12 monthly extensions, to provide maximum flexibility given the highly challenging market for permanent social work recruitment. Further details were at section 4 of the report.

 

The Corporate Director Social Services and Wellbeing added that with the challenges that all local authorities were facing in terms of recruiting social workers and the high level of vacancies within our council, it was challenging and unlikely to fill all these positions in the near future.

 

The Deputy Leader welcomed the report and stated that the managed service team had been instrumental in our practice improvements in Bridgend. The need for continuous stream of social workers was important to ensure a safe and effective delivery of service.

 

Further questions were asked of the cabinet which were answered by the Corporate Director.

 

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:

 

  • approves the continuance of the managed service with the current service provider Innovate Children and Young People’s Services;

 

  • suspend the relevant parts of the Council’s CPR’s in respect of the requirement as to re-tendering of the proposed contract; and

 

  • delegated authority to the Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing, in consultation with the Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change and Section 151 Officer, and Chief Officer – Legal & Regulatory Services, HR & Corporate Policy, to enter into a contract for the Managed Service for a 12 month period from 18th March 2023, with an option to extend by a further two 12 month periods (maximum 3-year duration) provided that the exercise of any such extension option be subject to the prior approval by the Cabinet/Corporate Management Board and consultation with Scrutiny Chairs.

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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