This meeting of Hackney Council's Cabinet Procurement and Insourcing Committee was scheduled to include the potential approval of multiple contracts, including ones for sexual health services and building maintenance. This article summarises what was scheduled to be on the agenda for discussion at the meeting. Note that these documents do not tell us anything about what was actually discussed, or whether any decisions were actually made.

Commissioning of Clinical Sexual Health Services

The meeting was scheduled to include the possible recommissioning of sexual health services in Hackney, with the report pack recommending that the council continue to use Direct Contract Awards for the provision of these services. The report pack also recommended that the council continue to participate in the London Sexual Health Programme.¹ The report pack recommends a new 8-year contract be awarded to Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for the provision of core acute clinical sexual and reproductive health services, at a maximum cost of £28.992m (ex VAT). The report pack proposes a separate 8-year contract be awarded to Homerton University Hospital for the provision of Open Doors, a programme that offers holistic support to on-street and off-street sex workers, at a cost of £2.710m. The report pack proposes the council also seek to recommission a range of primary care-based clinical services from community pharmacies and GPs at a cost of £5.264m over eight years. Finally, the report pack recommended that the council continues to access third-party arrangements in order to meet the open access mandate for sexual health, via contracts agreed with out-of-area providers by local authorities using the London Integrated Sexual Health Tariff, or via cross charging according to tariffs published by City and Hackney.

The London Sexual Health Programme is a collaboration of the 32 London boroughs, and is hosted by the City of London Corporation. It is a free and confidential sexual health service for anyone living in London.

Planned Capital Works Contracts for Property Asset Management

The report pack recommended that the council use an external framework, Fusion21, to procure contractors to carry out planned capital works on its housing stock. This is intended to replace the council's previous capital contract framework, which ended in November 2019.

The report pack recommends that up to four contractors are appointed using the Fusion21 framework, to cover planned internal and external works. The framework would cover works such as:

• Kitchen and bathroom replacements
• Window and door replacements
• Roofing works
• External wall insulation
• Fire safety works
• Energy efficiency works

The report pack recommended that these contracts are awarded for a term of 4 years, with the possibility of two 12-month extensions. The estimated value of these contracts was stated to be £45m per year.

The report pack also included an assessment of the risks associated with using the framework to procure these contractors. The pack recommended that the council apply to the First-Tier Tribunal for dispensation from the full compliance consultation regulations.

DN699359 - Lift Servicing and Repairs Contract

The report pack recommended that the council award two new contracts for the servicing and repair of lifts in its housing stock, to replace the existing interim contract with Apex Lifts Limited, which was due to end on 22 January 2025. The report pack stated that the council's housing stock contains over 600 lifts.

The contracts would be awarded to two different contractors, with one contractor covering the east of the borough and one covering the west. The contracts would be awarded for a term of five years, with an option to extend for a further five years. The total maximum value of these contracts would be £55.8m over the potential 10-year period. The report pack included a breakdown of the social value commitments that would be included in the contracts. These included commitments to reduce CO₂ emissions, provide apprenticeships and training opportunities, and support local community projects.

Commissioning of Sexual and Reproductive Health Promotion Services

The report pack recommended that the council continue to commission sexual and reproductive health promotion services from community and voluntary organisations. The report pack proposed two approaches to the recommissioning of these services.

First, the report pack recommended that the council authorise its inclusion in a new North East London framework for sexual and reproductive health promotion services. The framework would be commissioned and managed by the London Borough of Newham. Hackney's contribution to the framework would be a maximum of £875k over the four-year period.

Second, the report pack recommended that the council continue to be a member of the London HIV Prevention Partnership (LHPP). The LHPP is a London-wide partnership that aims to reduce HIV transmission and promote regular HIV testing. The report pack recommended that Hackney continue to be part of the LHPP for a further four years, with a total contribution of £200,000 over that period.

Contract Variation Mandeville Primary School - Facade Repairs Batch 3

The report pack sought approval for a £1,840,237.07 variation to an existing contract for façade repairs at Mandeville Primary School. The original contract was for the sum of £491,603.49. The variation was required due to the discovery of defective terracotta corbel elements during the erection of scaffolding in May 2022. A subsequent structural report determined that the majority of the terracotta stoneware exhibited similar defects, and that it would all need to be replaced. Because of the health and safety risk posed by the defective stonework, work to replace the corbels was instructed to begin before a decision could be taken on the contract variation, so the report pack sought retrospective approval for the variation. The report pack explained that because Mandeville Primary School is a listed building, there was no alternative to replacing the defective stonework, and to not do so would risk further deterioration of the building.

Parking Services ICT Systems Reprocurement

The report pack recommended that the council award a new contract to Polaris Software for the provision of its parking IT systems. The report pack explained that the council's existing contract with Polaris Software would expire in December 2024, and that no extensions were possible. It also explained that the council had previously considered procuring a longer-term contract with Polaris Software, but that advancements in artificial intelligence and the new Procurement Act 2023 meant this was no longer the best approach. The report pack stated that a business case was initially prepared in 2022 to procure a new IT system but that both the technological and legislative landscape has evolved considerably since then.

The report pack recommended that the new contract be awarded for an initial term of two years, with the possibility of extending for a further year. The estimated value of the contract was given as £3,000,000. This would cover the provision of parking permits, parking enforcement and other associated IT systems. The report pack stated that this contract would allow the council to prepare for an open procurement process for a longer-term contract in the future.