Transport services (excl. Waste transport)

Tender description

The Commissioners, Durham County Council and the Clinical Commissioning Groups named, are seeking to appoint provider(s) to provide a safe and efficient volunteer driver transport services across 3 Lots. Lots 1 (Social Care) and 3 (Health Appointments) will be subject to immediate award and Lot 2 is a Development Lot which has been designed to accommodate the Council's requirements for any new areas of Volunteer Driver provision which do not fall under the remit of Lots 1 and 2. Durham County Council are conducting the procurement for Lot 3 on behalf of the Clinical Commissioning Groups named and these will be subject to direct award under NHS terms and conditions. Volunteer Driver provision may need to be supplemented by alternative transport provision e.g. Commercial Operators or Community Transport and direct referrals required in some circumstances. The aim of Lot 1 is to provide safe and efficient volunteer driver transport services for use by Durham County Council for Children and Young People Service and Adult Social Care Services, delivered by Volunteer Drivers and supported where necessary by the use of Approved Taxi Company. The Council is seeking a single provider who will accept all referrals, apart from Adult Care. The required provision includes, but is not limited to, Looked After Children; Children and Young people to short break provision; socially isolated families to Children's centres; parents families to venues; Adult Social Care teams including day care. Lot 2 has been designed to accommodate the Commissioners requirements for any new areas of Volunteer Driver provision which do not fall under the remit of Lots 1 and 3. Lot 2 has been termed a Development Lot for Future Volunteer Driver Requirements as the Commissioners wish to not only fulfil and grow existing areas of provision but also explore new opportunities within transport provision which could be accommodated by Volunteers. This Lot creates an opportunity to not only enhance future volunteer driver provision but also the social value benefits that this brings for the drivers, the services users and indeed the community as a whole. A sole provider is required under Lot 3 — to provide a chargeable door to door volunteer driver transport service for those who are not reasonably able to travel to or from the location of care/treatment using another method of transport. The Commissioners for this Lot are Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group, Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group and North Durham Clinical Commissioning Group.