Decision

Salford City Council – Record of Decision

I Councillor J Cammell, Lead Member for Children and Young People,

accept the recommendation that the Family Keyworker Service

will not be recommissioned when the current contract ends

on 31 March 2026, as detailed in the table below:

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted Service/Supply/Project

Family Keyworker Service

Procurement Reference numbers (DN and CR number supplied by Procurement)

S1026

Name of Successful Contractor

Waythrough

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Procurement

Charity number: 515755

Proclass Classification No.

(to be completed by procurement)

321000 + 321100

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Procurement)

Registered Charity

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Procurement)

SME

Contract Value (£)

£200,000 per annum

Total contract value £ (including extensions)

£400,000 total project value

Contract Duration

24 months

Contract Start Date

01/04/2024

Contract End Date

31/03/2026

Optional Extension Period 1

months

Optional Extension Period 2

months

Who will approve each Extension Period?

Choose an item

Contact Officer (Name & number)

Lead Service Group

Children's Services

How the contract was procured?

(to be supplied by procurement)

ITT

Framework Details (where applicable)

(procurement body, framework reference & title, start/ end date

Funding Source

External Funding Source (please identify below)

Helping Families (Children and Families Grant)

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment Charter

Yes

EC: Committed to sign The Mayor’s Employment Charter

N/A

EC: Committed to the principles outlined in the Mayor’s Employment charter

N/A

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

No

EC: Committed to becoming Accredited Living wage Employer

Yes

?

The Reasons are:

In response to the national Supporting Families programme

concluding in March 2025, the Family Keyworker Service is

not recommissioned following the expiry of the current

contract on 31 March 2026.  With the Supporting

Families programme ending nationally, the rationale

for maintaining a separate commissioned service is

no longer sustainable.

Options considered and rejected were:

·      Retender contract for a minimum of 12-months

·      at current value.

Commissioners have reviewed options and

associated benefits and risks for the Family

Keyworker Service from April 2026.

Based on this, the recommendation is:

·      that the Family Keyworker Service will not

be recommissioned when the current contract ends on 31 March 2026.

Assessment of Risk: Low

TUPE is unlikely to apply in this scenario, on

the basis that there is no transfer of activities

(‘activities’ in this sense including supported families)

to a new provider, rather, the activities continue as

they were, just without the commissioned element

 (i.e. the additional cohort of the current Provider supported families).

Aligns with financial constraints.

The LA Early Help Service is able to meet the delivery

expectations within the Family Keyworker Service contract,

providing integrated, coordinated help for families –

including those from protected groups – without reduction

in access.

The source of funding is: Children and Families

Grant to the value of £200,000 per annum.

Legal Advice obtained: Yes – supplied by Lauren Armstrong,

Solicitor, Legal & Democratic Services.

Financial Advice obtained: Yes – supplied by Natalie Mannion,

Finance Manager.

Procurement Advice obtained: Yes – supplied by Tom Pyne,

Procurement Category Manager.

HR Advice obtained: N/A.

Climate Change Implications obtained: N/A.

The following documents have been used to assist

the decision process:

·      Part 1 LMB Report Family Keyworker Service

Contract 2 October 2025.

Contact Officer: Katie Kelleher, Head of Service

Early Help and School Readiness, Children’s Services          

Telephone number: 0161 793 2361.

This matter is not subject to consideration

by another Lead Member.

The appropriate Scrutiny Committee to call-in the

decision is the Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel.      

Signed:    Cllr J Cammell    Dated:   2 October 2025.

      Lead Member for Children’s and Young People’s Services.

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE ONLY:

*           This decision was published on 2nd October 2025

*           This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m.

On 9th October 2025 unless it is called-in

in accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.