Agenda, decisions and minutes

Forward Plan Ref: 2015/026

Contact: Karen McIndoe, Operations Manager (Independent Living Service) Tel: (01865) 897971

Report by Director for Adult Social Care (CMDASC4).

The report relates to Oxfordshire Employment Services in Social & Community Services which includes County Print Finishers and the Design/Reprographics unit. As part of Independent Living Services, Oxfordshire Employment Services support people with disabilities or long term health conditions across Oxfordshire to find or return to work through training, employment support, advice and guidance.

The service is currently funded by Oxfordshire County Council and small annual grant funds for specific areas of work such as Access to Work and CCG funding for Asperger’s support. The Service also receives income by providing services as a subcontractor to Shaw Trust as part of the Department for Work and Pension’s Workchoice scheme (Shaw Trust being a contractor to the Department for Work and Pensions).

This report informs the Cabinet Member of the potential to extend the existing WorkChoice contract and permissions for this and seeks approval to enter into possible future contracts with third parties.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          note the current arrangements with Shaw Trust and the potential for the contract to be extended for up to two years; and

(b)          agree that the Director of Adult Social Care enters into future contracts with other organisations and local authorities for Oxfordshire Employment Services to provide services to those organisations and local authorities that meet the aims of the service.

The Cabinet Member:

(a)  noted the current arrangements with Shaw Trust and the potential for the contract to be extended for up to two years;

(b)   agreed that the Director of Adult Social Care should enter into future contracts with other organisations and local authorities for Oxfordshire Employment Services to provide services to those organisations and local authorities that met the aims of the service; and

(c)  instructed that legal advice should be taken before any further arrangements were entered into in order to ensure that the Council had sufficient power to enter into any proposed contract.