Purpose

This report seeks approval to procure the services of Safe Families UK and award a contract to support our Edge of Care offer and enable more children to remain safely at home. The proposed contract is for a period of 12 months, with the option to extend for 12 months subject to funding, working with approximately 40 families for around a 6-month period each. The contract is estimated to commence on 1 September 2026. The direct award will be made under the Procurement Act Regulations, which permits direct awards with clear justification for doing so as outlined below. This approach ensures stability for vulnerable families which has been evidenced through work in other Local Authorities.

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the Corporate Director has decided to:

1)    Award a contract to Safe Families for Children to deliver support services to 40 families for an initial 12-month period, from 1st September 2026 to 31 August 2027. The cost for this initial period will be £100,000 excluding VAT (£120,000 inclusive of VAT). The contract will include an option to extend for a further 12 months, subject to the availability of funding.

Alternative options considered

The alternative option would be to do nothing in addition to current services which offer support to families. 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 work within other Local Authorities demonstrates that the service is successfully supporting families to improve their circumstances and for children to remain safely with their parents, making this option unacceptable.

A competitive tender process was also considered. However, this is not viable due to the unique nature of this offer and the providers ability to recruit numerous local volunteers to support the families. This provider has also worked with Liverpool City Council previously and is able to mobilise swiftly, in line with the needs of the Council.