Purpose

To approve the Strategic Procurement Plan for Short Breaks for Children and Young People with Disabilities

Decision

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

·       Approves the Strategic Procurement Plan for the procurement of Targeted Short Breaks Services.

·       Approve the proposed contractual term of five years starting with an initial period of wo years, with the option to extend for further three years (2+3 years).

·       Notes the following model for Targeted Short Breaks Services:

o   Recommission a new Targeted Short Breaks Play Scheme with 5-hour sessions in line with the Strategic Procurement Plan.

o    Commission separate short-term services via Request for Quotation. Short term services will be delivered as activity-based sessions and will target children and young people with mild to moderate special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) / social emotional mental health (SEMH) needs who are not eligible for Inclusion Fund support and do not meet the threshold for the Targeted Short Breaks Play Scheme.

o   Continue with supporting children and young people through the inclusion fund.

·        Delegate authority to the Executive Director: People in consultation with Portfolio Lead for Children Young People & Health to approve contract award and permitted contract extensions. 

Reasons for the decision

Local Authorities have statutory duties to provide short breaks for children with     disabilities and their families, in line with the Children’s Act 1989 and Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011.  In performing their duties under paragraph 6(1)(c) of Schedule 2 to the 1989 Act, Local Authorities must provide, so far as is reasonably practicable, a range of services which is sufficient to assist carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively. In particular, the Local Authority must provide, as appropriate, a range of:

·       Day-time care in the homes of disabled children or elsewhere,

·       Overnight care in the homes of disabled children or elsewhere,

·       Educational or leisure activities for disabled children outside their homes and

·       Services available to assist carers in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays.

To provide sufficient capacity to meet current and increasing demand, in line with the increase of children and young people with an education health & care plan.

This is a long running provision that has been instrumental in raising the participation of children and young people with disabilities in rewarding activities and supports inclusion in the local community and supports the priorities within the Children Social Care Service Plan.

The use of an Invitation to Tender (ITT) provides a transparent and competitive route to market, allowing the Council to identify, assess, and select the most suitable providers while achieving value for money and ensuring service quality.

Proceeding with a formal procurement process will ensure full compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2023 and Bracknell Forest Council’s Contract Standing Orders. Approval is required to support the timely completion of tendering, award, and mobilisation activities, enabling the contract to commence as planned in April 2027.

The proposed procurement of this service through a single stage tender will help maximise tender opportunities that should generate value for money and high-quality Short Breaks provision. The inclusion of multiple lots enables potentially more than one provider to deliver the service.

The proposed option will enable commissioning of additional short?term services to support families who do not currently access provision and look to expand provision to support more children and young people. Additional short-term services will be commissioned in accordance with Contract Standing Orders.

Parents and carers expressed clear support for the proposed delivery model, including the agreed session length, and shared the importance of maintaining flexibility across age groups, levels of need, and types of provision. In addition, families supported a blended approach that incorporates shorter, regular, and predictable sessions, alongside stay?and?play opportunities for younger children.

Alternative options considered

Recommission a new Short Breaks service with 3-hour sessions - The model proposes shorter session durations, from six hours to three hours, with an increased number of sessions available, reflecting feedback received from parents and carers during the first consultation. However, this proposal is acknowledged to be contrary to views expressed by parents and carers during the second consultation. This equates to a similar total number of hours to the current service offer; however, support would be delivered through shorter, more frequent sessions. This option would not allow for additional services to be commissioned within the existing budget to support families not currently accessing provision.

Recommission a Short Breaks service with 6-hour sessions - Maintaining the current session length would limit opportunities to develop or expand the Short Breaks service. This option would not allow for additional services to be commissioned within the existing budget to support families not currently accessing provision.

Recommission existing service and keep things as they are - The existing service is operating at full capacity and has already required significant contract variations and additional investment to maintain service delivery. The current model is not sustainable, as the number of children accommodated per session is no longer viable given the increasingly complex needs of the young people supported. Without the commissioning of different targeted services and the establishment of a clear pathway underpinned by transparent and well-defined eligibility criteria, there is a significant risk that the Short Breaks Service will be unable to meet the growing level of need within the Borough.

Extending - Extending the existing arrangements is not possible, the current service is already at capacity and has required significant contract variation and additional investment to sustain services. The current model is not sustainable.

Do nothing and the current contract ceases on 31st March 2027 - Current contractual obligation will lapse; there would be no adequate provision to meet our statutory duties or meet the commitments in line with the Local Area SEND Inspection and SEND Improvement Plan. This will see significant challenge from parents / carers and increase pressures on other services.

Spot Purchasing without a contractual agreement - Best value for money is unlikely to be achieved. Spot Purchases would not attract the same speed of response as referrals made under contract. This would not support forward planning for this service.

Bring Service In-House - Due to the timescales and resource available, a full exploration of in-house services could not be explored at this time. There are lots of factors to consider if the service were to be brought in-house, including potential costs, staffing, the management of the service and potential venues.