Purpose

To outline procurement activity for core
social care case management system

Decision

RESOLVED that
 

i.      
the strategic procurement plan for core Social Care case management
systems relating to Children’s Services, Adults' Social Care
and Education and Learning as outlined in Appendix 1 is
approved.
 

ii.    
authority to approve the strategic procurement plan and contract
award to support the services outlined in 3.1. be delegated to the
Executive Director: Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet
Member for Leisure, Culture, Public Protection
 

iii.   
Cabinet approves delegation of minor amendments and the decision to
suspend or proceed with the procurement process to the Executive
Director Communities in consultation with the Executive Director
People and the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture, Public
Protection.

Reasons for the decision

i.      
The Council has three core social care systems with each having
been subject to significant investment over the last five years (in
terms of system configuration, system enhancements and training) to
ensure they were fit to meet operational needs of the People
Directorate services and revised operating models where they have
been implemented.
 

ii.    
In order to regularise our current position, ensuring that previous
investment and operational gains already made are exploited further
and to meet evolving technical security requirements (protection of
data and mitigation of emerging cyber threats) it is recommended
that the three systems are reprocured via direct award from
compliant frameworks, moving to externally hosted environment where
this an appropriate option, recognising that externally cloud
hosted solutions incur additional costs (see 6.4)
 

iii.   
According to the UK Government’s Cloud Guide for the Public
Sector, cloud adoption – when properly implemented-can
“increase security and create opportunities to
innovate” while supporting cross-functional collaboration and
service continuity1.
 

iv.   
Devolved decision-making will reduce delays and enable agile
responses to operational needs while maintaining appropriate
controls, leveraging existing frameworks such as G-Cloud, KCS and
EPOS (as examples), we can ensure compliance and value for
money.
 

v.    
All procurement activity will align with the Procurement Act 2023,
and a procurement officer has been assigned as per the contract
standing orders. All notices will be published as per the
legislation, and all activity will be subject to a full strategic
procurement plan before agreement to proceed is sought through the
delegated authority.

Alternative options considered

i.      
An alternative approach would have been to undertake separate
procurements for each of the three core systems. However, this
would risk duplication of effort, inconsistent contractual terms,
and missed opportunities to align delivery timelines. It would also
have introduced additional costs, as each procurement would require
its own process, governance, and supplier engagement.
 

ii.    
A further option considered was to extend existing contractual
arrangements for individual systems on a short-term basis while
addressing procurement in stages. This was rejected as it would
prolong reliance on ageing platforms and delay the benefits of
improved functionality, resilience, and efficiency that new systems
can deliver. Staged procurement would also run counter to the way
our People Directorate operates, where children, adults, and
families often transition between service areas. Managing these
transitions across systems that are not aligned increases the risk
of inefficiency and inconsistency in how support is provided.
 

iii.   
By coordinating the procurements, the Council can ensure
consistency across the People Directorate, secure economies of
scale, and deliver systems that better reflect our residents' real
pathways and experiences.