Purpose

To commence a commissioning and tender process
to develop and procure a Strategic Partnership Framework for
Commissioning of Children’s Services. The framework is
designed to support the development and delivery of high-quality,
inclusive, and outcome-focused services for children, young people,
and their families with the aim of ensuring future provision
maximises independence and choice and control, best value, and
sustainability within the local care market, and will be conducted
in line with the requirements of the Procurement Act 2023.

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Corporate Director has decided to:
1)   
Commence a procurement exercise to establish  three Strategic Partnership Frameworks for the
Commissioning of Children’s Services, to support the
development and delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and
outcome-focused services for children, young people, envisaged to
be for up to a 10-year term, with total anticipated contract
values, Cluster 1 Framework £56,142,500 per annum exclusive
of VAT, Cluster 2 Framework £18,050,000 per annum exclusive
of VAT and Cluster 3 Framework £5,865,000 per annum exclusive
of VAT. This will consist of an overall anticipated value of
£80,057,500 per annum, and £800,575,000 exclusive of
VAT in total during the lifetime of the Frameworks.

Alternative options considered

Doing nothing is not considered a viable
option as this would not enable the Council to fulfil the aims and
objectives identified in Commissioning and Sufficiency Strategy 2025
– 2030 for Children and Young People Services. The
benefits of working collaboratively with the provider market to
develop a whole system approach to commissioning will secure better
outcomes and services for our children, young people and their
families through the establishment of a local provider
framework.