Decision

Salford City Council – Record of Decision

I (Councillor Cusack, Lead Member for Corporate Services and Chairman of the Procurement Board) OR (Paul Dennett, City Mayor), accept the recommendation of the Procurement Board and in exercise of the powers contained within the Council Constitution do hereby:

• approve and award the Contract for (insert title of project/ scheme/ service or purchase of goods), as detailed in the table below:

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted Service/Supply/Project

Business delivery partners for Adult Social Care to provide specialist external capacity and capability to deliver change at pace.

Name of Successful Contractor

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Corporate Procurement)

04289790

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate Procurement)

Charitable Trust

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate Procurement)

Non-SME

Contract Value (£)

£458,776 full project

Contract Duration

12 Months

Contract Start Date

19/10/2026

Contract End Date

18/10/2027

Optional Extension Period 1

Potentially to 6 months should the scope of the requirement develop

Optional Extension Period 2

Months

Who will approve each Extension Period?

Strategic Director (extension < £150k)

Contact Officer (Name & number)

Lee Thompson

Lead Service Group

People Services

How the contract was procured?

(to be supplied by procurement)

A Tender was completed via the BLOOM Consultancy Framework

Framework Details (where applicable)

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

BLOOM Consultancy

Funding Source

Revenue Budget

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment Charter

EC: Committed to sign up to charter

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

The Reasons are: The award of a contract, under the Bloom Framework, to SCIE to act as the Council’s Business Delivery Partner to support the Adult Social Care (ASC) and Health Partnerships Directorate in delivering transformation which supports our overall improvement programme. The programme aims to improve outcomes for residents, strengthen financial sustainability, modernise service delivery and ensure compliance with Care Act duties. ASC faces increasing demand, workforce impact, significant financial pressures and the challenge of Salford’s CQC assessment. Key drivers include rising complexity of need and demographic growth, increased market fragility and provider cost pressures and, the need to shift from traditional models of care to strengths?based, preventative, and digital?enabled approaches

Options considered and rejected were: Option to deliver the programme internally was rejected due to inability to deliver at pace, and their being a need for specialist external capacity and capability to work with the current substantive workforce.

Assessment of Risk: The programme will have a risk register in place with mitigation measures.

Innovate/ Best Value – identify the relevant corporate priorities specific to Salford: N/A

The source of funding and financial advice obtained: Adult Social Care Improvement Budget

Legal Advice obtained: YES

Procurement Advice obtained: YES

HR Advice obtained: N/A

Climate Change Implications obtained: N/A

Documents

The following documents have been used to assist the decision process:

• Council Budget Report – 25th February 2026
• Lead Member for Adult Social Care Briefing - January 2026
• Report to CMT - January 2026
• Adult Social Care Improvement Plan – May 2026
• Adult Social Care CQC Improvement Programme - Delivery Partner Procurement Specification - May 2026
• 8th June 2026 Procurement Board Report to meeting that gave approval to go out to competition

Contact Details:

• Contact Officer: Matt Drogan
• email: matt.drogan@salford.gov.uk

• This matter is also subject to consider by the Lead Member for         Adult Social Care and Health. The Lead Member has been consulted and is supportive of the proposed contract.
• This document records a key decision
• The appropriate Scrutiny Committee to call-in the decision is the Health and Adults Scrutiny Panel

Signed: Councillor Phil Cusack     Dated: 21 September 2026.

               Lead Member

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE ONLY:

• This decision was published on 21 September 2026.
• This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 28 September 2026, unless it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Procedure Rules.