Purpose

To seek Cabinet approval to:

Lapse the Council’s membership of the current regional
collaborative pseudo–Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for 16+
Supported Accommodation into the new pseudo-DPS led by South
Gloucestershire Council.

Develop and then procure a multi-supplier Gloucestershire Open
Supported Accommodation Framework Agreement that will better serve
the needs of children in care and care leavers aged 16+ in
Gloucestershire.

To implement spot purchasing arrangements in accordance with
Council spot-purchasing standards for new supported accommodation
placements in the interim whilst the proposed new Framework
Agreement is in development.

The proposed Framework Agreement will support the core ambitions
within Gloucestershire County Council’s (the Council)
Sufficiency Strategy Home@theHeart to take steps to secure, so far
as reasonably practicable, sufficient accommodation within the
authority’s area which meets the needs of its children in
care. This will be achieved through the provision of good quality
homes for children and young people and improve their outcomes
through proactive engagement with the market, market shaping, and
driving value-for-money commissioned arrangements.

Decision

Cllr Stephen Davies sought Cabinet approval to develop and then
procure a multi-supplier Gloucestershire Open Supported
Accommodation Framework Agreement that will better serve the needs
of children in care and care leavers aged 16+ in Gloucestershire;
and implement spot purchasing arrangements in accordance with
Council spot-purchasing standards for new supported accommodation
placements in the interim whilst the proposed new Framework
Agreement is in development.
 
Having considered all of the information, Cabinet noted the
report and
 
RESOLVED to:
 
Agree point 1 and 3 and delegate authority for
point 2 to the Executive Director for Children’s Services, in
consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s
Safeguarding and Early Years, to:

1.   
Develop and then procure a multi-supplier Open Framework Agreement
for the provision of Supported Accommodation for children in care
and care leavers aged 16+ in Gloucestershire (the “Supported
Accommodation Framework Agreement”). Such framework agreement
shall continue for a period of up to 5 years.

2.   
Procure and then award, subject to the financial restrictions set
out in the Resourcing Implications section of this report below, as
many call-off contracts under the above- mentioned Supported
Accommodation Framework Agreement as may be required by the council
for the provision of supported accommodation placements for
children in care and care leavers aged 16+ for the duration
described in their statutory care and permanence plans.

3.   
To implement spot purchasing arrangements as an interim measure for
new supported accommodation placements between the 1st August 2024
and 31st March 2025 whilst the proposed Supported Accommodation
Framework Agreement is awarded.