Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area:

1.1. The Executive Member for Children and Families, on the 16^th October 2008, approved a report setting out the commissioning strategy to develop a full service offer for disabled children and young people and also approved that tenders be sought for the delivery of an information and participation service and for extended services for 2400 young people attending the 26 special schools in Hampshire.

1.2. This report seeks authority to negotiate single preferred contracts in some situations where schools wish to directly provide extended services due to operational issues, the complex needs of the pupils, the views of parents and the nature of any existing services.

1.3. The overall value of the service to provide after school, week end and holiday short break services for over 2400 young people attending 26 special schools is anticipated to be in the order of £1,700,000 by the end of 2010/11 and it is anticipated in the order of 6 schools may wish to directly provide some services rather than engage external contractors.

1.4. Where schools apply to directly provide services their application will be considered against the criteria set out in this report. Where, in the opinion of the Director for Children and Families and the Head of Corporate and Legal Services, the application meets the criteria the school should be treated as a preferred contractor and a contract negotiated with that school.

1.5. It is intended to tender for services in two phases as summarised below

· For in the order of 1200 holiday short break places to be available by July 2009 rising to a 100% capacity - 2400 places - by July 2010

· For in the order of 50% of the capacity needed for after school and week end provision to be in place by September 2008 with full capacity being available for 2400 young people to have access to a service every other week by the end of 2010/11

1.6. Contracts for holiday short break schemes to commence in July 2009 will be awarded by April 2009 and contracts for evening and week end short break services to commence in September 2009 will be awarded by June 2009.

2) Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

2.1. The Executive Member approves that single preferred contracts be negotiated with those special schools which wish to provide extended services to disabled children and young people, where applications from those schools meet the criteria set out in this report.

MAIN REPORT

1) Contextual Information:

1.1. The Aiming High for Disabled Children commissioning strategy is based on the following approach.

· Support to parents and carers by providing information and participation networks, including better information to assist families in accessing universal services.

· A targeted short break `offer' for children and young people attending special schools.

· An offer to fund the additional care supports those claiming higher rate DLA may need in accessing a short break in a universal service

· Improvements in overnight short break services and in care supports within the home to provide a break from caring, including through the use of Direct Payments.

1.2. Tenders will be sought for the provision of the information and participation service by early 2009 in order that the service can begin to develop from April 2009.

1.3. Similarly contracts for after school and holiday short breaks for those attending special schools will be awarded between April and June 2009 to ensure service opportunities are available from the summer of 2009

1.4. The offer to fund the additional care supports needed, for those claiming higher rate DLA, to access a short break in a universal service will become available in the summer of 2009 and be fully developed during 2010/11.

1.5. The development of more specialist short break services to those with complex needs can be supported as new funds become available from 2009/10. These services include care support in the home, overnight short breaks and access to family link carers.

2) Key Issues:

2.1. The provision of extended services for those attending special schools has been developing within the extended services programmes and until now has been reliant upon services being funded by parent contributions and to a limited extent supported by charitable funds.

2.2. The Aiming High programme, supported by additional funds to the Local Authority, allows for a rapid expansion of services which can be funded on a secure contractual basis with a common service specification and performance standards. This will provide certainty for service providers and better support outcomes for children and young people accessing this form of short break.

2.3. There are a currently a number of summer care schemes available variously supported by grants and short term contracts and similarly there are extended services in some special schools provided by external providers: In some cases services are delivered directly by schools

2.4. Arrangements can be made within the proposed tenders for existing services to be included within new contracts where appropriate and some existing services can be refocused to offer support to a broad range of needs not directly met by the aiming high programme.

2.5. Some schools have advised that they would prefer to manage their own services and the proposal to negotiate some single preferred contracts allows for a consideration if this is in the best interests of service users , is consistent with good practice and respects the views of parents.

2.6. The criteria to evaluate if single preferred contracts should be negotiated have been developed with the County Council's Legal Practice and include a consideration of the complex needs of children, the nature of the premises, where new service builds upon existing services, where parents have developed confidence in existing service providers. In all cases the criteria will ensure value for money consistent with an agreed service specification

3) Outline of Options:

3.1. Option 1: Seek open tenders for all services

3.2. Option 2: Negotiate single tender contracts in specific circumstances

3.3. Option 3: Deliver all service directly through schools.

4) Option Analysis / Comparison:

Option 1. Open tenders for all services

4.1. This option is feasible but could destabilise some existing service delivery arrangements that are well support by parents and meeting the needs of young people with complex needs where continuity of service is important.

4.2. This option would ensure all service providers have an opportunity to be considered for services but may lead to a situation where schools could not make the premises available to external contractors due to operational considerations. Which in turn could affect the County Council's ability to delivery a full service offer to vulnerable children.

4.3. If a school felt they could not make existing premises available for the delivery of this service it could be possible to rent local provision and additional costs would be incurred, which could affect the level of service affordable within available resources.

Option 2. Negotiate single tenders in specific circumstances

4.4. This option allows for a small number of schools to put forward proposals to manage the delivery of the proposed extended services. Such proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

· where for good reason the school does not feel it is able to make available existing school premises for the delivery of the service and there are no other suitable premises in the immediate area available for the delivery of the service;

· where the continuity of some existing services could be affected by tendering for additional services

· where the existing relationship between parents and the school need to be maintained and developed to ensure the successful delivery of the extended services

· where the schools already offer some extended services and to place a contract with a third party could result in a detriment to the existing service and the relationship between parents and the school, and

· the school demonstrates that it can meet the required standards for the delivery of the extended services and show that their proposal offers value for money.

4.5. In this way it will be possible to ensure existing provision managed by some schools is included in the overall approach, that value for money is considered and that any existing relationship between parents and the school in offering extended services is taken in to account.

4.6. Taking this option would restrict the overall service opportunities available to independent service providers. Subject to assessment of school proposals in conjunction with the Head of Corporate and Legal Services it is anticipated in the order of 6 of 26 schools may wish to put forward proposals to directly manage some services.

4.7. Within this option it would be possible to ensure the same service specification and standards of service were in place in all settings and that the criteria for evaluating if a single tender award could be negotiated included value for money considerations.

Option 3. Direct delivery of extended services by all schools

4.8. This option would not be supported by all schools as many have indicated they do not wish to directly manage services and some have existing contracts and relationships with independent providers. The option would be in conflict with the compact with independent sector providers and would not be considered best practice is tendering for services.

5) Conclusions:

5.1. In the circumstances where some schools advise that they may not be able to make existing premises available to external contractors to run services and the continuity of some existing services could be affected by tendering for additional services the best option available is to apply the criteria set out in paragraph 4.4 above, by which schools may be considered for single preferred contracts to be negotiated

6) Financial implications

6.1 In order to evaluate tenders a cost model has been developed based upon some existing services provided under contract and in some cases directly provided by schools. It is anticipated there will be significant differences in costs across the 26 special schools in view of the number of students and their individual support needs.

6.2 The overall grant budget available for the development of a range of services from April 2009 is set out below.

6.3 As tender responses are considered early in 2009 it will be possible to confirm the overall spending plan and the phasing of developments over the two year programme commencing in 2009/10. Based upon the cost model for these services it is anticipated the part year cost in 2009/10 could be in the order of £700,000 and the full year cost, by 2010/11, of extended services across the 26 special schools will be in the order of £1.7m, which can be accommodated within the grant cash limit in both years.

7) Recommendations:

7.1. It is recommended that the Executive Member approves that single preferred contracts be negotiated with those special schools which wish to provide extended services to disabled children and young people, where applications from those schools meet the criteria set out in this report.

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

IMPACT ASSESSMENTS:

1. Equalities Impact Assessment:

a) The proposal supports the aiming High commissioning strategy to offer a better choice of services with a significant reach into hard to reach families, where children have complex needs.

2. Impact on Crime and Disorder:

a) N/A

3. Climate Change:

a) How does what is being proposed impact on our carbon footprint / energy consumption?

· The proposal and the overall commissioning plan seek to provide services around schools and universal services and avoid the need for additional travel by promoting after school provision.

b) How does what is being proposed consider the need to adapt to climate change, and be resilient to its longer term impacts?

· n/a