Purpose

This report seeks approval to procure and
award a contract to continue to commission the services of Wilks
Forensic Psychology to deliver Project Fiona for a period of 12
months with the option to extend for a further 12 months under the
provisions of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime)
Regulations 2023.

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Corporate Director has decided to:
1)   
Award a contract to Wilks Forensic Psychology Ltd to deliver
Project Fiona for a further 12 months with an estimated
commencement date of 1 May 2026 until 30 April 2027. This will be
at a cost of £396,562.00 excluding VAT (£475,874.40
inclusive of VAT).

Alternative options considered

Allowing the current contract to lapse and
taking no further action was considered but discounted. This option
would undermine the Council’s ability to deliver its Edge of
Care Offer, which is designed to keep families together and reduce
the number of children entering care. Evidence from Project
Fiona demonstrates that the service is successfully supporting
children to remain safely with their parents, making this option
unacceptable.
 
A competitive tender process was also
considered. However, this is not viable because the therapeutic
model used in Project Fiona is proprietary and copyrighted
by Wilks Forensic Psychology Ltd. No other provider can replicate
or deliver this approach, and re-tendering would risk losing the
unique benefits and outcomes associated with the current model,
leading to disruption in care and diminished effectiveness.