Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Adult Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/204

Contact: John Pearce, Service Manager, Strategic Commissioning Tel: (01865) 323619.

Report by Director for Social & Community Services (CA9).

The report recommends the award of the Carers' Support contract to the successful bidder Age UK ,Oxfordshire.

The selection of the provider followed the procurement process outlined in the attached report. Age UK, Oxfordshire demonstrated a strong bid based on both quality and price. The bid was strong generally on approach to delivery offering a good track record of local partnerships and delivery within Oxfordshire.

The award of this contract meets the obligations the Council agreed to undertake  following agreement to implement the Carers' Revised Commissioning Intentions Cabinet decision in July 2010. The current contracts with the three independent Carers' Centres will come to an end in April. The Centres are making their own decisions about their futures.  However, it appears all will initially be able to support a smooth handover to the proposed provider. Further work will be undertaken to ensure the implementation is completed satisfactorily.

The Carers' Support Contract ensures that community-based outreach and support will be available to carers throughout Oxfordshire. This support may be provided in three ways: as telephony and internet support, as face-to-face support with a support worker, or from peer groups of carers supporting each other. This is one part of the total provision of services available to carers. It is the key provision for those who do not otherwise qualify for support from other social and community services or health provision. The aim is to reach many more carers with support and assistance at an earlier point in their caring roles.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

Award Age UK Oxfordshire the contract for this service for a period of 3 years, (with two annual options to extend) on the basis of having provided the most economically advantageous bid which meets our needs.

Cabinet considered a report (CA9) that  recommended the award of the Carers' Support contract to the successful bidder Age UK, Oxfordshire

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Shadow Cabinet Member for Adult Services sought clarification over the tendering process and in particular the role played by the representative of Age UK on the evaluation panel. She also sought reassurance that the service provided would be properly monitored and scrutinised.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Services stated that the opposition group had been briefed at each stage. The report today was the end of an extremely rigorous procurement process. The work of carers was very much valued. Age UK had a long history of work in the County, were well respected and had a good track record. He was confident that they would be able to meet what was a very demanding contract. The Director for Social & Community Services clarified the procurement process. He commented that in the standard pre qualification questionnaire eight companies had been put through including Age UK, Oxfordshire but only four had tendered and this had not included Age UK, Oxfordshire. At tender evaluation stage none of the four had been suitable on the grounds of quality. At that point the Council had gone back to the other four and two had put in bids. The assessment process had been very clear and they had worked closely with procurement and legal services. The representative of Age UK had been part of the evaluation as the Acting Chief Executive of the Carers Forum. That person had not been involved in the preparation of the Age UK bid and the Director for Social & Community Services believed that that individual and Age UK, Oxfordshire had acted completely properly.

The Director for Social & Community Services undertook to report to Scrutiny if requested on the way in which the contract targets were to be monitored.

RESOLVED:             to award Age UK Oxfordshire the contract for this service for a period of 3 years, (with two annual options to extend) on the basis of having provided the most economically advantageous bid which meets our needs.