Decision details

A report was submitted to set out a series of recommendations which provided a summary of current and proposed arrangements for the commissioning of Community Day Care Support.

The provision of Community Day Care Support services was to be commissioned with the intention to award a contract for a term of 2 years. The current contracts would expire on the 31st March 2024. To avoid any gaps in service whilst the procurement process took place, the proposal was to extend the current contract for a period of six months (1st April 2024 to 30th September 2024) to ensure the completion of the procurement exercise and to commence the new service arrangement from the 1st October 2024.

Cllr John Slater raised concerns about the Council’s Procurement Procedure Rules and felt that they would be breach if the report was approved. Asad Laher, Deputy Director of Legal and Governance advised the committee that the recommendations for this report were compliant.

RESOLVED –

That the Executive Board notes and approves the following recommendations:

·       Waive the Council’s Contract Procurement Procedure rules to extend the current contract arrangements for 6 months to allow the procurement to take place without a gap in service.

·       To procure commissioned day care services for a 2 year contract term. The proposed contract period will be 1st October 2024 until 30th September 2026.The procurement will include two Lots; one Lot for Blackburn and one Lot for Darwen. The procurement will take into account geographical location, transport arrangements and the number of day care places required to meet demand across the borough

Members note that consideration and development is also required in the following areas:

·       The current daycare commission is interdependent with the utilisation and review of community centres in Blackburn. Age UK are one of the current day care providers and the service is delivered from Little Harwood, Accrington Road and Greenfields community centres. In the proposed new commission, the appointed provider will source their own venue/s.

·       The development of a transport policy and an approach to managing non-attendance.

·       The final tender will consider updated models of day support and reflect that linked transport services will be considered as part of the process.