Meeting documents

Cabinet
Tuesday, 16 January 2007

CA160107-18

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Division(s): N/A

ITEM CA18

CABINET– 16 JANUARY 2007

TRANSFER OF CONNEXIONS SERVICE 2007/08

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families

Introduction

  1. From April 2007, the grant (approximately £5million subject to final confirmation) for the delivery of the Connexions Service and new statutory functions will transfer to Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) through the Local Area Agreement. The Connexions Service provides youth support services including information advice and guidance to young people aged 13-19. Currently the service is managed regionally by the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Connexions Partnership (MKOB). It has been agreed that the company will wind up from April 2007 and the responsibility will transfer to the 3 local authorities.

  2. This report sets out a summary of the transition arrangements and proposal that continuity of service delivery to young people will be ensured through continued use of existing providers for a further year in 2007/08 pending a review of services and recommissioning for 2008. The transition process was endorsed by the Children and Young People’s Partnership and Board at their meetings in July 2006.

    3. Transition Plan

  3. The key principles for the transition process are to ensure:

    • continuity of service for young people

    • compliance with the LAA monitoring arrangements

    • continued focus on achieving the NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) target in the Children and Young People’s Plan

    • ensuring the participation of young people in the process

  1. A two phase approach has been agreed for transition:

  2. Phase 1 – April 06 to March 07. The priority is to ensure that robust arrangements are in place within Oxfordshire County Council’s Children, Young People and Families Directorate to manage the service and the monitoring and reporting requirements. A transition project plan has been agreed with a full risk managed approach and this is being monitored through a project board and range of transition including MKOB and representatives of the Government Office for the South East (GOSE).

  3. A Service Manager (Supporting Choices) and a Data Analyst have been appointed in advance of the transfer. The project is managed by an Assistant Head of Service working to a Project Board. In April 2007 the service will transfer to the Head of the Youth Support Services.

  4. Phase 2 – 2007/08. There will be a review and redesign of integrated services for 13 – 19 year olds to include the new statutory standards for Information Advice and Guidance and obligations to deliver positive activities and volunteering for young people. This work supports the 14-19 strategy and the targets and priorities outlined in the NEET strategy with a particular focus on vulnerable groups of young people.

  5. This work is one of the 7 commissioning priorities agreed by the Children and Young People’s Board.

    6. Future Service Delivery and Provider Contracts

  6. The direct service to young people (personal advisers working in schools and the community as well as specialist services) are delivered through sub contracting arrangements with 3 main contractors:

    • CfBt Education Trust Personal Advisers (Universal and Targeted Support)

    • OCC Specialist Personal Advisers

    • Voluntary Sector. The contract is hosted and managed by Milton Keynes YMCA but delivered through a range of local voluntary organisations in Oxfordshire

  1. In order to ensure continuity of direct services to young people in 2007/08 it is proposed that OCC will contract with the existing providers for a further year. Contracts and specifications will be revised to meet OCC procurement and contracting standards.

  2. It is recommended that the services provided by the Connexions contractors (YMCA and CfBT) while being devolved to the responsibility of OCC are exempted from the Contract Procedure Rules for 1 year only. Whilst the services are classified as a Part B service under the Public Procurement Regulations 2006 which do not come under the full rigours of a competitive tendering procedures, there is still an obligation for the Council to tender these contracts under the EU treaty principles. However with a major re-tendering process to be undertaken, specifications to be designed and all commercial aspects to be considered including the provision of TUPE applying, it would not be appropriate to conduct such a competition for the services to commence in April 2007. The Council also has an obligation under the Government Compact to ensure that these services are competed in a manner that allows such providers to take account of all aspects of the tendering process.

  3. As the services will be competitively tendered in one year’s time the Council is merely deferring this obligation on a temporary basis.

  4. This will enable a competitive process to be conducted in line with the treaty principles, the Council’s constitution and the Government Compact to ensure the Council delivers focussed and high quality services in priority areas.

    5. RECOMMENDATIONS

  5. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

          1. endorse the Children and Young People’s Board’s recommendations for the transfer of the Connexions Service to OCC from April 2007;

          2. ask the Children and Young People’s Board to monitor progress;

          3. approve the ongoing provision of direct services to young people through entering into one year contracts with existing providers; and

          4. exempt those contracts from tendering under Contract Procedure Rule 4.1.1 for one year pending the redesign and recommissioning of services for 2008.

KEITH BARTLEY
Director for Children, Young People & Families

Background papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Sandra Bingham – Assistant Head of Service (Social Inclusion and Integrated Support Services) Tel (01865) 816217

January 2007

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