Purpose

To seek approval to be part of a consortium
that is tendering for a new Children’s Residential Care
Contract for a term of 4 years (with a further 4 optional extension
years) from 1st October 2024 to 30th September 2028. The current
Children’s Residential Care Contract expires on the 30th
September 2024. Bracknell Forest Council has been a partner in the
current Children’s Residential Framework with 20 other local
authorities and will continue in the same partnership. The
procurement and contract management of the Framework will be led by
Southampton City Council.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees to
the recommendations contained in the Strategic Procurement
Plan:
 
      
i.        
That BFC
enter into a partnership agreement (the Partnership) with 20
local
authorities’ where Southampton City Council will be the
lead procuring  authority for the
procurement of a new framework for children’s
residential
provision
(4 + 2 + 2 year contract commencing in October 2024).
 
    
ii.        
It is
anticipated that the total expenditure by the Council through the
South
Central
Children’s Residential framework will be between
£3,500,000 and
£4,000,000 per annum, giving an estimated total
expenditure for the initial
four year
term of £16,000,000. Approval of this Strategic Procurement
Plan
therefore
authorises all future call offs from this Framework up to
£16,000,000
for the
initial 4 year term of the framework, and up to a maximum
of
£40,000,000 for the total 4 + 2 + 2 year term of the
framework.
 
   
iii.        
That at
the Framework Board Meeting on the 12th December 2024,
BFC
votes for
the following uplift approach for the new Framework recognising
that
a quorate
(50%) decision needs to be reached which may be slightly
different
from
BFC’s preferred position:
 
·      
Placements on the current residential framework will
be uplifted in line
with new
framework placements.
·      
Uplifts will be given annually at the start of the
financial year from the
second
year of the framework onwards. This means providers will
be
eligible
for their first uplift in April 2026 and every April
thereafter.
·      
Uplifts should be determined by Consumer Price Index
including owner occupiers housing costs (CPIH) average for the year
with a cap applied.
·      
The cap should be set at a maximum of
7-8%.
·      
Uplifts will apply to both existing and new
placements