Councillor Sarah Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Private Renters, approved the variation and extension of the contract for the Community Navigator Service for Older People in Haringey (Reach & Connect). This decision will see the contract with Public Voice extended for two years, from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2026, with a total value of £695,170. The service aims to help older residents live independently and prevent an escalation of care needs and hospital admissions.

Community Navigator Service for Older People Extended

The Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Private Renters approved the extension and variation of the contract for the Community Navigator Service for Older People in Haringey, known as Reach & Connect, which is delivered by Public Voice. This decision means the service will continue for an additional two years, from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2026, at a cost of £695,170. The total value of the contract, from its commencement in May 2019 to April 2026, will be £2,736,610.

The primary reason for extending the contract is to ensure that older people in the borough can continue to live independently in their own homes. The service has been evaluated as performing well, meeting its targets and delivering positive outcomes for residents. It is funded through the Council's Housing Related Support general fund budget.

Alternative options considered included allowing the contract to end, which was deemed not to be in the council's interest due to the continued high demand for the service. In-house provision was also considered but found unsuitable due to a lack of existing expertise within the Council. A full open tender process was discounted as the Council was able to negotiate an extension with the current provider, an option that was agreed by Cabinet in March 2019.

The Reach & Connect service is part of Haringey Council's Housing-Related Support programme, which funds a range of services for vulnerable residents. For older people, this support is designed to prevent homelessness, reduce isolation, and manage social care needs. In 2022/23, the service supported 2,305 older people, with a significant proportion needing assistance related to the increased cost of living and issues of isolation and loneliness. The extension of this contract directly supports the Council's strategic priority to Enable all adults to live healthy, long and fulfilling lives.

The contract was originally awarded in March 2019 to a partnership led by Public Voice, including Mind in Haringey and Haringey Association for Independent Living. Initially, the service involved eight Community Connectors. Following a previous extension in 2022, the partnership was led by Public Voice with three organisations, and the number of Community Connectors was reduced. The current extension involves a renegotiated contract value and a reduction in staffing hours.

The report also noted that funding previously allocated to Haringey Circle, a membership service for over 50s aimed at reducing social isolation, would cease from the Reach & Connect budget on 31 March 2024, as Haringey Circle has made its activities free for residents.

The decision was made under Contract Standing Order 16.02, which allows the Cabinet Member to approve such variations and extensions when they fall between Cabinet meetings. The Chief Finance Officer confirmed that the existing budget is sufficient to cover the extended costs, and the Procurement team noted that the extension was provided for in the original tender process, in line with Regulation 72(1)(a) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Legal Services confirmed there were no legal impediments to the decision. The Equality impact assessment highlighted that the service supports older people with protected characteristics, including disability, sex, sexuality, and race, and that Public Voice is obliged to adhere to the Public Sector Equality Duty.