Purpose

To approve procurement of a Digital Family Hub Platform to support the delivery and ongoing development of Bracknell Forest Council’s Family Hub and Start for Life programme. It is proposed that the procurement be undertaken via the G Cloud framework, enabling the Council to access pre approved cloud based services quickly, compliantly and efficiently without the need for a full tender process.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Health APPROVES the approach detailed in the attached confidential annex for procuring the Best Start in Life Digital Platform for a three-year contract via a direct award under Lot 2 of the G-Cloud 14 framework.

Reasons for the decision

This approach will support the Council in meeting Department for Education requirements to provide accessible, integrated information, guidance and support across both physical Family Hub locations and digital channels. 

The proposal ensures compliance with The Department for Education’s requirements for local authorities to provide accessible, integrated information, guidance and support across both physical Family Hub locations and digital channels, aligning with national Best Start in Life expectations for a strong and consistent digital offer.

The Best Start in Life programme expects local authorities to provide families with easy access to information, advice, guidance and support through both physical Family Hub locations and accessible digital services. A key expectation of the national programme is that families should be able to identify what support is available, understand how to access it and receive help through a clear and consistent route into services.

The Department for Education's vision is for Family Hubs to operate as an integrated system of support rather than a collection of separate services. This includes providing a strong digital offer that enables families to access trusted information, discover local services, activities and support programmes, understand local pathways and connect with help at a time that suits them. The digital offer is intended to complement face-to-face support by making services easier to find and improving accessibility for families who may be unable or reluctant to attend physical locations.

The proposed Beebot.ai platform directly supports these expectations by providing a single digital front door for Bracknell Forest families. It will bring together information, advice, guidance, local services, Family Hub activities, parenting support, SEND information and wider partner provision within one platform, helping families identify and access support more easily. The proposal therefore supports Bracknell Forest's ability to deliver the digital element of the Best Start in Life programme whilst strengthening access, improving connectivity between services and families and supporting earlier intervention through easier access to information and support.

The Best Start in Life Plan aims to create a more connected, accessible and integrated system of support for children, young people and families. Key priorities include improving access to information and support, increasing awareness and uptake of local services, strengthening family engagement, improving partnership working and using data and insight to better understand need and inform service development.

The proposed Beebot.ai platform directly supports delivery of these priorities by providing a single digital front door through which families can access information, advice, guidance, activities and support from across Family Hubs, Best Start in Life services and partner organisations. This will make it easier for families to understand what support is available and how to access it, helping to reduce barriers to engagement and improving access to support at an earlier stage.

The platform will also support wider system improvement by increasing awareness and uptake of local services, providing a more consistent experience for families and generating insight into the information, support and services that families are seeking. This information will help the Council and its partners understand demand, identify gaps in provision and support continuous improvement of services. As such, the proposal is not simply a technology solution; it is an enabler for the delivery of the wider Best Start in Life vision and the development of a more connected and responsive system of support for families in Bracknell Forest.

Alternative options considered

Alternative options have been considered and include:

• Do nothing – This option would not enable the Council to meet The Department for Education’s requirements to provide accessible, integrated information, guidance and support across bothphysical and digital Family Hub provision. It would also result in continued fragmentation ofservices and reduced accessibility for families.

• Alternative off?the?shelf digital platform – This option would require significant customisation to meet both local and national requirements, leading to increased developmentcosts and potential delays to implementation.

• Internal development – This option would require substantial internal IT capacity and investment, which is not currently available, and would result in higher costs, longer delivery timescales and increased technical risk compared to procuring an established, sector?specific platform.