Content

Salford City Council – Record of
Decision
 
I Councillor Youd, Lead Member
for Finance and Support Services and chairman of the Procurement
Board, in exercise of the powers contained within the
Council Constitution
do hereby approve:
 

an exception to
Contractual Standing Orders as permitted within the City Council
Constitution for the reason(s) highlighted in the table below and
the award of the Contract for Supported Employment Service –
Job Coach Element (Extension), as detailed in the table
below:

 

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted
Service/Supply/Project

Supported Employment Service – Job Coach
Element (Extension)

Name of Successful
Contractor

The Growth Company

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

2443911

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Private Limited Company

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Non-SME

Contract Value (£)

£348,495.06 full project

Contract Duration

24 months

Contract Start Date

01/06/2024

Contract End Date

31/05/2026

Optional Extension Period 1

12 months

Optional Extension Period 2

12 months

Who will approve each Extension
Period?

Procurement Board (extension >
£150k)

Contact Officer (Name &
number)

David Timperley, 0161 793 2533

Lead Service Group

Place

Reason for CSO Exception: The goods / services /
works are only obtainable from one provider and there is no other
provider available to allow genuine competition

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or
the supply of goods or services is controlled by a statutory
body

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Delivers Best Value to the
Council

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Special education, health
or social care contracts, if it is considered in the
Council’s best interests and to meet the Council’s
obligations under relevant legislation

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or
the supply of goods and services is required so urgently as not to
permit compliance with the requirements of competition

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Security works where the
publication of documents or details in the tendering process could
prejudice the security of SCC and Salford residents

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Procurements made through,
or on behalf of, any consortium, local authority, statutory or
similar body, provided that tenders or quotations are invited and
contracts placed in accordance with national or EU
legislation.

Tick if it applies

Funding Source

External Funding Source (please identify
below)

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment
Charter

 

EC: Committed to sign up to the Charter

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

 
 
The reasons are:

The existing supported employment service
contract was tendered through an open procedure in 2022 which
included a provision to extend the contract for a further 12 months
up to 31 March 2026 to ensure delivery of the service. DWP has
since agreed an additional £420,000 grant funding, which at
the time of tendering was not available.

 

The additional grant funding has been
agreed by DWP at extremely short notice (22 April 2024), therefore
it may not be possible to undertake a new procurement process and
deliver the service within the allotted timescales i.e. from 1 June
2024.

 

As such the council will just be buying
more of the same service that was tendered in 2022. The Growth
Company has performed well, during the initial contract period, as
such seeking an exception to Contractual Standing Orders by
Procurement Board to vary and extend the existing Supported
Employment Service (Job Coach element) for a further 14 months with
the incumbent provider, The Growth Company. This will enable the
council to deliver additional services through the extension period
to meet the DWP deadlines.
 
Options considered and rejected were:

Delivering the supported employment
service in-house was considered and rejected.
 
Firstly, DWP approved the
extension at extremely short notice (22 April 2024), as such the
lead time to mobilise the service extension in house by 1 June 2024
would not have been practical. Also, delivering the service
in-house would not have been the most cost effective or efficient
method of delivery.

 

As mentioned, the additional grant
funding has been agreed by DWP at extremely short notice, therefore
it is not possible to undertake a new procurement process and
deliver the service within the allotted timescales i.e. from 1 June
2024.

 
Supported employment is a
specialist service requiring experience and expertise, so the
preferred option was to extend and vary the contract with the
incumbent delivery provider (The Growth Company).
 
On this basis continuing
delivery arrangements with the incumbent provider was deemed to be
the best option for delivering a quality service and ensuring
required outcomes are achieved for residents.
 
Assessment of risk:
The supported
employment service has been operational for 12 months, as such we
have a tried and tested delivery model and resources in place with
the incumbent service provider, The Growth Company, to provide
further support to additional 120 participants throughout proposed
extension period.
 
The Job Coach function
is at the heart of the proposed delivery model and any delays on
approving the request to vary and extend the
existing supported employment service contract will have an impact
on service continuity, and the providers ability to
maintain existing staffing levels for the proposed
extension. Any delay in the award will impact on the allotted
timeframe to deliver the proposed service extension to support an
additional 120 participants. Which in turn could jeopardise the
grant funding awarded by DWP to deliver an extended local supported
employment service.

 

As previously mentioned, the extension of LSE is based on the grant
funding formula and existing terms and conditions of the existing
grant funding agreement. As such
there is an element of risk in relation to the Council achieving
the full complement of 120 participants starts on provision and
associated £420,000 DWP Grant allocation. It is essential
therefore that Adult Social Care (ASC) has close connectivity with
the supported employment service for appropriate service
referrals.
 
The source of funding is:
The
LA will receive an additional £420,000 in grant funding from
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to extend Local
Supported Employment for a further 24 months (1 June 2024 –
31 May 2026) This will allow for an additional 120 unemployed
individuals with autism and/ or learning disabilities to receive a
minimum of 10 months support until 31 May 2026.
 
The additional funding required by
the incumbent delivery provider (The Growth Company) to provide the
‘Job Coach’ element of the service support to benefit
an additional 120 participants between is
£348,495.06.
 
Legal advice obtained:
Yes from Kathryn Saldanha
– Shared Legal Services.
 
Financial advice obtained: Yes from Luba Velychko - Finance
(Place).
 
Procurement advice obtained: Yes from Christine Flisk –
Corporate Procurement.
 
HR advice obtained: N/A.
 
Climate change implications obtained: Yes from Mike Hemingway
– Environment Policy Team.
 
Documents used: The following documents have been used to assist
the decision process:
·     
Salford Supported Employment Service – Service
Update and Proposal to Extend  - Report
to CMT on 8th  May
2024.
·     
Salford Supported Employment Service – Service
Update and Proposal to Extend – Report to the Lead Member for
Skills & Work, Business and Workforce on 7th May
2024.
·     
Salford Supported Employment Service – Service
Update and Proposal to Extend – Report to the Executive
Director of Place on 2nd May 2024.
·     
LSEI Model Fidelity Audit Report (Sept ‘23).

·     
Approval to award contracts to provide a Local
Salford Supported Employment Service – Report to Procurement
Board 11th January 2023.
·     
Salford Learning Disability Strategy
(2022).
·     
DWP Local Supported Employment Initiative –
Local Authority Guidance (2022).
·     
People at the heart of
care: Adult social care reform white paper (March
‘22).
·     
Shaping Future Support:
The Health and Disability Green Paper (August
‘21).
 
Contact details/ officers:
·     
Dave Timperley (Skills and Work Commissioning
Manager), Telephone number:
0161 793 2533.
·     
Alison Burnett (Head of Skills and Work),
Telephone number: 0161 793
2535.
·     
Lyndsey Daly (Integrated Commissioning Manager -
LD/Complex Needs), Telephone number:
07929 660620.
 
·     
This matter is also subject to consideration by the
Lead Member for Skills
& Work, Business & Workforce and Adult Social Care
& Health.
·     
The Lead Members have been consulted and are
supportive of the proposed contract.
·     
The appropriate Scrutiny Committees to call-in the
decision are Growth & Prosperity and Health &
Adults
 
 
 
 

Signed:    Cllr J
Youd          Dated:    22 May
2024.
           
   Lead Member
 

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE
ONLY
 
*          
This decision was published on 23 May 2024
*          
This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 31 May 2024 unless
it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process
Rules.