This meeting was about the procurement of two services: a service for the provision of telecare, and a service for the provision of emergency accommodation. A report about the previous meeting on 8 October was scheduled to be considered and agreed.

Technology Enabled Living Service

The agenda included a report from Charlotte Smith, Senior Commissioning Officer seeking approval to run a competitive tender to procure a new Technology Enabled Living (TEL) service. The service would comprise three parts:

• Equipment, including alarms, fall detectors and environmental sensors.
• A 24/7 call monitoring service
• A 24/7 response service

The new service would replace the existing service, which is due to expire on 25 August 2025.

The report proposed that the Council enter a 3 year contract with an option to extend for a further 3 years. The total cost of the contract would be up to £5.12 million.

The report described the benefits of the proposed new service.

Integrating technology into traditional care and support packages offers a transformative approach to delivering health and social care services.

It would continue to support residents to remain safe and comfortable at home but would, in addition, try to meet the rising demand for care and support within existing budgets. The report also outlined how the service would support the Council's strategic priorities, for example by using technology to:

• Maximise residents' independence.
• Support informal carers to continue providing care.
• Reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

The report provided examples of positive outcomes achieved by a recent technology project, and explained how the service would be monitored and evaluated to ensure that it continued to meet its objectives.

Emergency Accommodation Service

The agenda included a report from Mark Watson, Programme Lead, seeking approval to create a new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to purchase emergency accommodation for adults with care needs from hotels, B&Bs and guest houses. This new DPS would replace the Council's existing spot purchase arrangements for this type of accommodation.

The total cost of the contract would be up to £4.38 million.

The report explained that the Council currently spends around £1.35 million a year on this type of accommodation, and that the amount is expected to rise each year. It described the benefits of the new DPS, such as:

• Reduced costs for the Council.
• Better quality and safety standards for accommodation.
• Increased choice for the people who use the service.

The report also explained how the new DPS would be managed and monitored. It included Key Performance Indicators that would be used to assess providers, such as a target to ensure 100% of emergency repairs were completed or an alternative room provided within 12 hours of reporting.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The agenda also included the minutes from the previous meeting of the Procurement Board¹ on 8 October. Councils are required to hold regular meetings in public, and to make the minutes of those meetings available.

The minutes described the decisions that the Board was scheduled to make at the October meeting, including:

• The award of contracts to Potter Raper Ltd, for the provision of an Employer's Agent, Quantity Surveyor, Clerk of Works and Principal Designer-CDM services at Kings Crescent Estate and Marian Court, and to Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust for the provision of Speech and Language Therapy services, Public Health Midwives Service, and Family Time Services for Looked After Children.
• The variation of an existing contract for the provision of Family Time Services for Looked After Children to appoint a new provider.
• The approval of the procurement of apprenticeship training using the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Apprenticeship Training Dynamic Purchasing System and the CCS Training Marketplace Framework.

The minutes also provided details about the contracts that were scheduled to be discussed, including the length of contracts, the reasons why decisions were made, the cost of contracts, and any conditions attached to them.