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RESOLVED:
 
1. 
To agree the procurement of up to 11 individual  contracts for
youth provision that are delivered through centre based (locality),
outreach, peripatetic or detached youth work arrangements. Each
contract will run for a period of 3 years from 1st November 2024
with an option to extend for 2 years in yearly increments. The
maximum budget for the services over five (5) years will be
£3.5m (£700,000 p.a.).

 
2. 
To agree to the extension of 13 existing Connecting
Young Hackney, Lot 1 contracts for a maximum period of seven (7)
months until the end of October 2024 at a maximum cost of
£545K.
 
Reason(s) For
Decision
 
5.1  The Council’s
universal youth provision is currently delivered under a mixed
economy of inhouse, and externally
commissioned services from a number of Voluntary & Community
Sector (VCS) organisations. This procurement seeks to contract with
a range of providers to continue to complement the in-house offer
and secure a comprehensive eco-system of support and opportunity
for young people.
 
5.2  The Connecting Young
Hackney Framework was the previous vehicle used to  provide a range of
universal youth work programmes for children and young people aged
6-19 (and up to 25 for young people with SEND). The vehicle
previously comprised two ‘Lots’; ‘Lot 1’
for Programmes delivered year round to improve the overall quality
of life for children and young people in Hackney, and ‘Lot
2’ which was for time limited project based activities that
respond to identified local needs. The Connecting Young Hackney
Framework expired on 31st October 2020 and since then the contracts
for Lot 1 have been individually extended until 31st March 2024 to
allow for the completion of the review of Young Hackney and the
previous Early Help Review (both of which inform the context for
this procurement).
 
5.3  This report seeks approval
for the extension of  seven months for the current individual
contracts for Lot 1 in order to ensure continuity of service whilst
the procurement process is completed See Appendix 3.
 
5.4  Following the decision not
to extend the Lot 2 contracts beyond the end of October 2020 the
monetary value of the procurement programme was converted to a new
annual grants programme for children and young people to respond to
the changing Hackney landscape, emerging needs, and to encourage
engagement with smaller youth organisations. In its first year this
programme made 28 grants, the majority of which went to smaller
organisations and exceeded the expected total number of
beneficiaries.
 
5.5  The learning from the
previous procurement, Council grants programme, Early Help Review,
Hackney Young Futures Commission and Review of the Young Hackney
Service (conducted Summer 2023) have informed the business case and
specification for this procurement. The change of age group for
this procurement reflects the recommendations of the independent
review of Young Hackney and the findings of the Young Futures
Commission. The Young Hackney Review recommends focusing provision
on the older age group (10-19) as the area currently with the
greatest unmet need. The review also recommends ensuring young
people are involved in the design, development and delivery of
activities that help to attract and retain young people who are 14
years and older, inclusive of youth leadership, volunteering and
social action. In arriving at this recommendation the review
included a range of consultations and feedback from children, young
people and families, professionals, and members of the wider
Hackney community. The review also sought best practice examples
from other councils and research about what works.
 
5.6  Hackney Young Futures
[HYFC] was set up as an independent commission of the Council, and
delivered the largest ever consultation exercise with young people
in Hackney aged between 10 and 25, engaging with 2,400 young
people. Contained within the recommendations is an ask for
increased access opportunities to places, spaces and activities
through the ‘lost hours’ between 3-7pm. The commission
specifically focuses on the needs of adolescents and its findings
inform the service specification for this procurement which will
prioritise the development of ‘Skills for Independent
Adulthood’.
 
5.7  It is noted that whilst
the CYP grants programme has been successful in working with a
greater number of small organisations to provide increased access
to positive activities, that bids were not received for activities
that meet the specific needs of young people at risk of offending
and exploitation. Hackney data reported to the Youth Justice Board
continues to evidence that the majority of offences are committed
by children aged 15-17 years. This reinforces the need for
diversionary opportunities, within safe travelling distance, that
meet the interests of adolescents and enable them to develop
knowledge and skills around how they can manage risk, make informed
choices and stay safe.
 
5.8  Since 2019 the Council has
continued to review and redesign its early help offer to ensure its
accessibility and impact. Hackney Council believes that some of the
most important and valuable work that is currently provided to its
children, young people and their families is what is known as
‘early help’ - an offer of universal and targeted
support and opportunities designed to help children and young
people have the best possible start in life.  Effective early help at critical points in a child
or young person’s life can significantly improve both their
immediate situation and their overall life chances. Youth work is
an important component of the continuum of support which encourages
learning and personal and social development; developing
confidence, agency, self-regulation, consideration, aspiration and
other personal assets that support future success.
 
5.9  One of the key findings of
the Early Help Review has been the need to ensure that Early Help
is organised on a locality basis so families can access support in
a space that they find comfortable. Locality based working was
similarly supported through the independent review of the Young
Hackney Service. Organising the Services commissioned on a locality
basis and within cultural specific communities will enable
relationships to be formed across organisational boundaries to
better support families; providing an informal route for residents
and partners to learn more about what help is available and to
ensure that Universal Services are effectively sign-posted.
 
5.10  Whilst focused primarily on the
delivery of open access youth work, universal youth provision is
often a key point of access for families into further support and
wider early help services. In support of our ambition for the
transformation of services on a locality basis, the commissioning
process has involved the analysis of “cold spots” of
provision and beneficiary groups that were not reached through the
previous procurement. The location of the existing four Young
Hackney Hubs in relation to the Primary Care Network (PCN)
neighbourhoods and Child and Family Hubs has been reviewed, so that
this procurement complements the existing geography (as far as is
practicable).
 
5.11  Through the proposed network of youth
providers it is aimed that children, young people and their
families will be able to participate in high quality youth services
and be signposted to targeted early help without stigma. An
expectation will be placed on providers to work collaboratively
with the wider network of statutory and voluntary provision in
their locality to meet the needs of children and young people.
Whilst young people will continue to be encouraged to travel and
access youth provision across the borough the following
neighbourhoods will be prioritised to complement existing provision
and address local need:
 
- Shoreditch Park Neighbourhood
-Well
Street Community Neighbourhood
-Springfield Park Neighbourhood
-Hackney Downs Neighbourhood
 
5.16   The above is not meant to be a checklist of
what youth work should deliver and providers should evidence that
their offer is shaped with young people through the youth work
process so that it responds to their lived experience and
presenting needs, concerns and interests. Involving young people in
leading their own youth work experience is essential, since adults
do not always understand young people’s concerns and the
learning experience lessened. This procurement will ensure that
Youth participation will be a core component of delivery.
 
Contracts required
 
 

Service Category
 

No. of LOTS

Core centre based/ detached/ outreach youth
work

7

Culturally Specific

3

Specialist SEND provision

1

 
 
Volumes and costing data which
informed the development of the Contract Lots detailed above are
provided in Exempt Appendix 1
 
Preferred Option
 
5.26  Appointment of Universal
Youth Service providers through a competitive procurement process
to continue the mixed economy delivery model of inhouse, and externally commissioned
services.
 
 
This option will maintain the existing model of service provision
whilst optimising the opportunities for engaging with the voluntary
sector in the delivery of a variety of services, and encouraging
partnership working and consortium bids from smaller organisations.
There will be scope for providers to bid to deliver programmes that
maintain a unified focus on high quality youth work practice that
delivers a range of measurable positive outcomes for young people,
whilst improving access across the borough.
 
5.27  The Council will give providers an
opportunity to bid for services  based on the following criteria:
 
5.27.1 Number/duration of
weekly sessions
 
It is expected that a maximum of 4 providers will provide youth
work programmes for a minimum of 3 days per week (or 6 sessions) in
the key locations identified, and inclusive of 8 weeks holiday provision per annum. It is also
expected that 3 detached outreach/arts/ sports specialist providers
will provide a year round offer. The tender will cost delivery
according to the number of sessions delivered and number of
children and young people served. Minimum numbers of providers have
been identified to address key localities and the needs of key
target groups.
 
 
See Exempt Appendix 1 for more detailed costs and volumes of
service delivery. The LOTs will account for the categories covered
in paragraphs 5.31 to 5.33 below.
 
5.27.2 National Youth
Agency Themes
· 
Arts, Culture and Heritage
· 
Identity and Belonging
· 
Leadership,Civic engagement and
participation
· 
Economic and Financial wellbeing
· 
Creativity and fun
· 
Global citizenship
· 
Skills development
· 
The environment and sustainable development
· 
Healthy and safe relationships
· 
Health and wellbeing.
 
5.27.3 Provision that
targets inequalities, including structural and systemic racism,
and improves accessibility for young people with special
educational needs and/or disabilities and from LGBTQi+ communities
 
5.27.4 Neighbourhoods-
‘Cold Spots’ identified
Shoreditch Park Neighbourhood
Well
Street Community Neighbourhood
Springfield Park Neighbourhood
Hackney Downs Neighbourhood
 
5.27.5 Practice
principles
Youth work is a deliberative
educational approach, with its own pedagogy and professional base,
which supports the personal and social development of young people
through non-formal education. It is delivered under the principles
of equal access and voluntary engagement. All commissioned
providers will be expected to work to youth work methodology
underpinned by an understanding of how young people develop during
adolescence, reflective practice and peer education. The ability to
establish boundaries and maintain trusted relationships with young
people, address challenging behaviour and de-escalate conflict will
be essential to all delivery.
 
Universal youth work meets the need
for children and young people to socialise in a safe and secure
environment and should facilitate access for vulnerable young
people to early intervention and support. The importance of
safeguarding children and young people and providing a safe
environment for young people is central to practice. This
procurement will expect Providers to evidence organisational
safeguarding policy and practice which aligns with Working Together
and reflects intra familial and extra familial risk. Specifically providers will be expected to be aware
of Contextual Safeguarding approaches and be willing to work with
partners to create safety within peer groups and localities. We
will expect all commissioned youth providers to continue to develop
a clear understanding of the risks and harms children and young
people may face in the community and how Hackney are developing
systems to screen, assess and respond to extra-familial harm.
 
 
Hackney Children and Education Services expect our commissioned
providers to share and work to the same practice principles, and
thus be committed to eradicating systemic racism, discrimination,
injustice; making anti-racism a foundation of our collective
practice. We will expect all commissioned providers to join us in
creating a culture of critically reflective practice and share a
mutual expectation that every member of staff takes responsibility
for their own learning and development with respect to anti-racist,
anti-oppressive practice -  being a
voice and force for change, for every child and family that we work
for and with.
 
5.28  Alternative Options (Considered and
Rejected)
 
 
Refer to Exempt Appendix 2 - for a more in depth analysis on
Insourcing Considerations.
 

 

Advantages

Disadvantages

Do Nothing-

None

1.This is not a viable option.There is a statutory duty to secure
educational, recreational and leisure time activities, and
sufficient facilities for such activities (Section 507B of the
Education and Inspections Act), this includes the current suite of
externally commissioned Universal Youth provision.

 

Advantages

Disadvantages

Manage and deliver the services in house.
(refer to insourcing Exempt  Appendix 2)

1.Would allow maximum control for the
Council
 
2. In line with the Council’s ambition
to insource services where practical and appropriate

Fails to make use of the particular capacity
and expertise available from the local voluntary and community
sector in Hackney
 
2. Lost opportunity to benefit from
the 
innovation and responsiveness of established local
providers
 
3. Fails to maximise the potential for added
social value that could be achieved through a competitive
procurement process.
 
4.The Council does not have the physical
assets (youth club buildings, youth bus) required to deliver this
type of youth provision and would therefore require additional time
and budget to establish these under this option.
 
5.Would require more capacity for management
oversight of the day to day delivery of the service in addition to
the extra operational staff that would be required.

Secure all the
functions via a Framework or Dynamic
Purchasing System (DPS)
 

Flexibility to award further contracts during
the delivery period as required.
 
2.Under a DPS additional providers could be
added during the contract period

1.Additional call-offs are unlikely to be
required once the initial round of contracts has been awarded
 
2.Participating in a framework is an
administrative burden for providers and there is no guarantee of a
contract for providers who have completed the vetting process to
join the framework.
 
3.Call offs would always involve mini
competitive tenders which are labour intensive for
commissioners.
 
4. There is  a risk
that small/ medium local providers could be excluded because they
lack the capacity for regular bidding processes.

One Contract with a single supplier
 

1.Potential to achieve economies of
scale
2.Minimises contract management and
reporting requirements    

1.Excludes smaller and medium sized
organisations
2.Fails to make use
 of the diverse
experience and expertise of existing local providers, or to meet
the needs of Hackney’s diverse communities
3.Likely to result in an overall loss of
capacity from the local community and voluntary sector
organisations currently active in this area