Issue - meetings

Award contract for Advocacy Services

Meeting: 02/12/2024 - Executive (Item 59)

59 Award contract for Advocacy Services pdf icon PDF 287 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

 

  • Endorse the procurement process and approve the contract award and recommendations detailed in Appendix B (Confidential Tender Evaluation Report) for the provision of Advocacy in Somerset 
  • Approve the commissioning of the successful bidder for an initial period of 5 years with an option to extend by 3 years. 
  • Provide a delegation to the Executive Director for Adults Services and Housing to agree the 3 year extension option in consultation with the Lead Member for Adult Services, Housing and Homelessness. The decision to implement the extension, or otherwise, will be assessed against an agreed set of performance and service measures. 
  • Agree the case for applying the exempt information provision as set out in the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A and therefore to treat the attached confidential Appendix B in confidence, as it contains commercially sensitive information, and as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information. Agree to exclude the press and public from the meeting where there is any discussion at the meeting regarding the confidential tender evaluation report (Appendix B) (to be treated as exempt information). 

 

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, invited the Lead Member for Adults Services, Housing and Homelessness, Cllr Sarah Wakefield, to introduce the report.

 

Cllr Wakefield proceeded to hand over to Vicky Chipchase, Strategic Manager Quality Performance & Assurance, and Bernie Howard, Senior Commissioning Officer, who explained: the contract is due to expire at the end of March; the statutory duties the service provided; that people with lived experience had been involved in the process; that the recommendation related to endorsing the competitive procurement process; that the contract is initially for five years with the option to extend for a further three years.

 

The Leader of the Council invited comments from Committee Members and other Members present, with officers providing responses as appropriate. Questions and points raised included: the decision coming to Executive as part of the process; how the decision to extend for three years would be made.

 

The Leader of the Council concluded the discussion and proceeded to a vote on the recommendations, which were agreed unanimously.

 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

 

  • Endorse the procurement process and approve the contract award and recommendations detailed in Appendix B (Confidential Tender Evaluation Report) for the provision of Advocacy in Somerset 
  • Approve the commissioning of the successful bidder for an initial period of 5 years with an option to extend by 3 years. 
  • Provide a delegation to the Executive Director for Adults Services and Housing to agree the 3 year extension option in consultation with the Lead Member for Adult Services, Housing and Homelessness. The decision to implement the extension, or otherwise, will be assessed against an agreed set of performance and service measures. 
  • Agree the case for applying the exempt information provision as set out in the Local Government Act 1972, Schedule 12A and therefore to treat the attached confidential Appendix B in confidence, as it contains commercially sensitive information, and as the case for the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing that information. Agree to exclude the press and public from the meeting where there is any discussion at the meeting regarding the confidential tender evaluation report (Appendix B) (to be treated as exempt information).