Agenda item - Residential Child Care, Foster Care and SEN Education Placements

Report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning (copy attached).

            That the Committee:

1)    Grants delegated authority to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to conclude negotiations with West Sussex County Council on the terms of access and agreement to participate in a regional Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the provision of placements in independent residential children’s homes, independent foster care and independent non-maintained special schools (INMSS).

2)    Approves the procurement of a DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts, either led by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) as the contracting authority or procured with one or more other regional partners or procured by Brighton & Hove City Council for its sole use (depending on the outcome of 2.1 above), for the provision of placements in independent residential children’s homes, independent foster care and INMSS.

3)    Grants delegated authority to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to: (i) carry out the procurement of the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts referred to in 2.2 above; (ii) agree the term of the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts; (iii) award and let the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts and; (iv) award and let placement agreements under the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts.

85.1         The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning in relation to Residential Child Care, Foster Care and SEN Education Placements. The report sought approval for the procurement of a Dynamic Purchasing System, framework agreement or individual contracts and the award of individual placement agreements for placements in independent residential children’s homes, independent foster care and independent non-maintained special schools. The report was a follow up to the report to the Procurement Advisory Board on 23 May 2016 and the Committee of 14 July 2016. The reason for bringing the report back to the Committee was that two local authorities had withdrawn from the partnership and if any further local authorities did so then the Council might need to work with a different configuration of local authorities to get best value in its future procurement of placements. In addition, the final business case had changed substantially from the last draft presented to committee.

85.2         Councillor Wealls welcomed the increased number of foster placements using in-house carers. The Executive Director explained, in response to a query, that East Sussex County Council had withdrawn as they felt the contract was no longer in their financial interests; due to the associated costs of setting up the infrastructure it was in the Council’s interests to join up with other local authorities.

85.3         Councillor Bewick noted the comments from Councillors Wealls in relation to in-house placements, and highlighted that this saved the Council around £324K.

85.4         The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote.

85.5         RESOLVED -  That the Committee:

1)     Grants delegated authority to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to conclude negotiations with West Sussex County Council on the terms of access and agreement to participate in a regional Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for the provision of placements in independent residential children’s homes, independent foster care and independent non-maintained special schools (INMSS).

2)     Approves the procurement of a DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts, either led by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) as the contracting authority or procured with one or more other regional partners or procured by Brighton & Hove City Council for its sole use (depending on the outcome of 2.1 above), for the provision of placements in independent residential children’s homes, independent foster care and INMSS.

3)     Grants delegated authority to the Executive Director of Families, Children & Learning to: (i) carry out the procurement of the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts referred to in 2.2 above; (ii) agree the term of the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts; (iii) award and let the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts and; (iv) award and let placement agreements under the DPS, framework agreement or individual contracts.