DN584603 Urban Outreach Response Service for Rough Sleepers

Tender description

The exemption includes contingency should there be unforeseen delays in the sign off process for the contract award. The Adult Services & Health Procurement Plan 2021 -2022 ASC/10/21 was approved by Cabinet on 09/04/21. This revised plan took account of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which had delayed a range of commissioning and procurement activity within the Adult Services and Health Directorate. That approval provided extensions, variations and exemptions in order to be compliant with the Council’s standing orders and legislative requirements. The pandemic caused major disruptions to commissioning, primarily in regard to: ability of providers to respond to invitations to tender because of furloughed capacity or illness; redeployed capacity in the local authority or provider organisations into essential frontline functions to save lives during the pandemic and lack of access to specialist technical resource. The Directorate has made significant progress with these commissioning activities, including [insert name of the contract that is the subject of the exemption request] which has been retendered and fully evaluated, albeit that the timescales for the conclusion of the process have continued to be challenging to meet given the pressure on resources within the council. However, Cabinet will be asked to approve an award of contract to the successful bidder at the meeting on xxxx (next Cabinet is 22nd October, then 5th November – so need to determine which of those meetings is most likely). The service which is the subject of this exemption request, delivers vital support to people at risk of rough sleeping and associated activity such as begging and street drinking and individuals who are at risk of rough sleeping and who need support to remain in accommodation and off the streets, particularly as winter approaches. Without an extension of the current arrangements until the new contract is in place, this vital support to this complex group would cease, placing individuals at significant risk of harm. If the recommendation to Award to the successful bidder is approved at Cabinet we anticipate that a new contract can be in place, governance allowing, within 6/8 weeks from that decision but in order to allow for any delays for implementation, would seek an exemption to continue the existing contract up to 31st January 2022, with a new contract being in place and fully operational by 1st February.