Purpose

This report sets out the current contracting arrangements for James Horrigan Court, Dale Acre Drive, Netherton, L30 2RZ, and seeks approval of a service waiver to ensure continuity of provision during an interim period.

James Horrigan Court is a 71 bed Extra Care scheme, with 24-hour on-site care and support. ICARE are the incumbent provider who previously secured the contract in 2019 after a successful tendering process via the Liverpool City Region Flexible Purchasing System Extra Care Framework. The landlord for the site is Housing 21, who also have a designated housing officer on site most days.

The current annual contract value is £0.297m and the existing contract expires on 31 March 2026. A waiver has been authorised to permit ICARE to continue as care provider for a 12-month interim period, alongside enhanced contract management from April 2026. A procurement exercise will be undertaken in advance of 1 April 2027 to establish new contractual arrangements.

Decision

Decision(s):

1. The current contracting arrangements for James Horrigan Court and approve the continuation of I Care as care provider for the agreed interim period through the authorised service waiver, including express authority to enter into the new interim contract, to ensure continuity of provision, be noted.
2. The approved introduction of enhanced contract management from April 2026 (including quarterly contract management meetings and structured KPI reporting) and note that a procurement exercise will be undertaken in advance of 1 April 2027 to establish new contractual arrangements, be noted.

Reasons for the recommendation:

Cabinet Member is asked to note the current contracting arrangements for James Horrigan Court and approve the continuation of I Care as care provider for the agreed interim period through the authorised service waiver, including express authority to enter into the new interim contract, to ensure continuity of provision.

1) Approve the introduction of enhanced contract management from April 2026 (including quarterly contract management meetings and structured KPI reporting) to strengthen operational oversight during the interim period.

2) Note that a procurement exercise will be undertaken in advance of 1 April 2027 to establish new contractual arrangements for James Horrigan Court, reflecting updated commissioning priorities, market intelligence, and the emerging care and support model for Extra Care services.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

Option 1.

The option to procure a longer-term contract was dismissed to align with the wider Extra Care Housing strategy for James Horrigan Court.

Option 2.

Allow the contract to expire. This was not an option as the service supports people who are eligible for service under the Care Act 2014.