Purpose

To approve the award of a four-year contract for the maintenance, inspection and repair of lifting equipment used within the Occupational Therapy and Community Equipment Service.

The decision seeks approval to award a contract with a total value of £579,024 over four years for the inspection, maintenance and repair of lifting equipment provided to disabled children and adults within Southend-on-Sea.

The contract is funded through the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and associated adaptations budgets and is expected to commence in July 2026.

Decision

The Cabinet Member for Social Care & Healthier Communities agrees to:

(1) Approve the award of a four-year contract for the maintenance, inspection and repair of lifting equipment as detailed within the accompanying Part 2 exempt Tender Acceptance Report.

(2) Authorise the Executive Director for Adults and Communities to agree all necessary contractual documentation associated with the award.

Reasons for the decision

The Council has a continuing requirement for a compliant maintenance, inspection and repair service for lifting equipment provided to disabled children and adults. Awarding the contract will ensure continuity of service provision from 10 July 2026 and enable the Council to continue meeting its statutory responsibilities relating to the maintenance and safety of lifting equipment.

Failure to award the contract would expose the Council to the risk of being unable to meet its statutory duties in respect of the provision and maintenance of equipment for disabled residents under the Care Act 2014, Children Act 1989 and the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

Alternative options considered

The option of extending the existing contractual arrangements was considered but was not available within the terms of the current contract.

The option of delivering the service in-house was considered but discounted due to the specialist nature of the service, the requirement for appropriately qualified engineers and inspectors, and the infrastructure required to deliver a compliant maintenance and inspection service.

The option of not awarding a contract was considered and rejected as this would leave the Council unable to meet its statutory responsibilities for the inspection, maintenance and repair of lifting equipment provided to disabled children and adults and would create significant operational, safety and compliance risks.

The recommended option is to award the contract following completion of a compliant procurement process as detailed within the accompanying Part 2 exempt Tender Acceptance Report.