Purpose

The London Consortium Community
Equipment Framework, managed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and
Chelsea and Westminster City Council, appointed Nottingham Rehab
Services (NRS) to the framework in April 2023.
 
H&F is one of twenty-one
Local Authorities across London who are part of the consortium
agreement and ‘called off’ a contract with Nottingham
Rehab Services (NRS) for the provision of services.
 
NRS went into insolvency on
1st August 2025. The report seeks approval to enter new
contractual arrangements for the provision of this
service.
 
Reasons for Urgency
The Council’s Community
Equipment Provider went into court ordered insolvency on
1st August 2025. The Council do not have the
capacity or capability to deliver a like for like service in house.
An urgent decision is required to allow the Council to move to a
new provider and meet our statutory duties. Local authorities have
a statutory duty under various legislation including the Care Act
2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability
aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs
of individuals who are resident in their area. The provision of
community equipment supports residents to remain as independent as
possible for as long as possible and is both a statutory
requirement and important in delivering key strategic system
priorities to support hospital discharge and prevention.

Decision

The Leader approves
 
1.   
Appendix A and B are not for publication on the
basis that it contains information relating to the financial or
business affairs of any particular person (including the authority
holding that information) as set out in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A
of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
 
2.   
A direct award to the preferred provider for the
provision of community equipment services from 19th
September 2025 for two years with the option to extend by one
year.
 
3.   
To delegate further authority to the Executive
Director of People’s Services in consultation with the Deputy
Leader and Executive Director Finance and Corporate Services
(Section 151 Officer) any subsequent decisions relating to the
procurement of Community Equipment Services.
 

Reasons for the decision

Local authorities have a
statutory duty under various legislation including the Care Act
2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability
aids and “community equipment”, to meet the assessed
eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their
area.
 
The provision of community
equipment supports residents to remain as independent as possible
for as long as possible and is both a statutory requirement and
important in delivering key strategic system priorities to support
hospital discharge and prevention.
 
The recommendations within this
paper seek to sustain the delivery of this service, ensuring
continuity of provision whilst a new service is
mobilised.

Alternative options considered

Please refer to the
report.