Agenda item

Adult Substance Misuse Services Retender

Report of the Executive Director, People Services.

Decision:

8.1

The Deputy Executive Director, People Services, submitted a report setting out the proposed approach to recommissioning drug and alcohol treatment and support services for adults aged 18 and above in Sheffield.

 

 

8.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:- 

 

 

 

(a)

approves the proposed procurement process and service model, as set out in the report, to secure services for the support and treatment of the adult residents of Sheffield with substance use disorders; and

 

 

 

 

(b)

delegates authority to the Director of Commissioning, Learning and Inclusion, in liaison with the Director of Legal and Governance, the Director of Finance and Commercial Services, and the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, to:-

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

approve the procurement strategy for the tender for the Adult Substance Misuse Services; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

agree appropriate contract terms and approve a contract award following the tender process.

 

 

 

 

8.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

8.3.1

Good quality drug and alcohol support services are essential to help individuals turn their lives around and build stronger families and communities in Sheffield.

 

 

8.3.2

The Council has a duty to organise and arrange drug and alcohol treatment and support services for the people of Sheffield.  The Council cannot directly run these services, so a recommissioning process is required.

 

 

8.3.3

The current legal contractual arrangements in place for these services expire on 31 March 2020, so carrying out this process at this time will allow us to ensure there is continuity of service, with new contracts commencing on 1st April 2020, and to offer the necessary savings to the Public Health Grant with minimum impact on frontline service.  This was the over-arching action set out in the Drug Strategy 2018-2022.

 

 

8.3.4

The service will be based on local need and trend analysis, and performance data for current service provision will inform where change and improvement is needed for the forthcoming contract period.

 

 

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

8.4.1

There is not a ‘do nothing’ option available: all SCC commissioned substance misuse support contracts now end on 31st March 2020 and in order to ensure there is legally contracted provision from 1st April 2020 a new commissioning process must be carried out in a timely manner.  The ending of all the contracts on the same date allows us the opportunity to ensure our vision, as set out in the drug and alcohol strategies, are realised via the commissioned treatment provision, and achieve savings and efficiencies by streamlining and integrating the service and remove barriers for service users such as duplication and issues with information sharing.

 

 

8.4.2

The commissioning process also allows us to review our outcomes, and focus attention and prioritise areas where improvement is required.

 

 

8.4.3

The alternative option in terms of the model would be to commission two or more separate contracts to mirror the current provision. However, the outcome of the consultation was overwhelmingly that a one contract model was preferred by staff, stakeholders and service users.  It also offers the opportunity for reduced overheads in a time when savings are required, and so is the sensible approach to providing these savings while minimising the impact on frontline service.

 

 

8.4.4

Another option considered is the Council taking on the delivery of these services and running them as a Council service.  This has been rejected for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the services involve a significant element of clinical expertise and delivery of high volume clinic based activity.  Secondly, the Council has no experience or delivery knowledge of these services and has no past precedent for running them, whereas there is a well-developed market of qualified and experienced providers who would be willing and able to deliver these services if successful in the competitive tender process.  This is evidenced through our current service delivery arrangements.  Finally, the Council has no systems in place for clinical supervision of a workforce, licences to hold medication, is unable to manage safe prescribing: and the costs of setting this up would be disproportionately high and poor value for money when existing fit for purpose options exist in this market.  

 

 

8.5

Any Interest Declared or Dispensation Granted

 

 

 

None

 

 

8.6

Reason for Exemption if Public/Press Excluded During Consideration

 

 

 

None

 

 

8.7

Respective Director Responsible for Implementation

 

 

 

John Doyle, Deputy Executive Director, Place.

 

 

8.8

Relevant Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee If Decision Called In

 

 

 

Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care.

 

 

Minutes:

9.1

The Deputy Executive Director, People Services, submitted a report setting out the proposed approach to recommissioning drug and alcohol treatment and support services for adults aged 18 and above in Sheffield.

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED: That Cabinet:- 

 

 

 

(a)

approves the proposed procurement process and service model, as set out in the report, to secure services for the support and treatment of the adult residents of Sheffield with substance use disorders; and

 

 

 

 

(b)

delegates authority to the Director of Commissioning, Learning and Inclusion, in liaison with the Director of Legal and Governance, the Director of Finance and Commercial Services, and the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, to:-

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

approve the procurement strategy for the tender for the Adult Substance Misuse Services; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)

agree appropriate contract terms and approve a contract award following the tender process.

 

 

 

 

9.3

Reasons for Decision

 

 

9.3.1

Good quality drug and alcohol support services are essential to help individuals turn their lives around and build stronger families and communities in Sheffield.

 

 

9.3.2

The Council has a duty to organise and arrange drug and alcohol treatment and support services for the people of Sheffield.  The Council cannot directly run these services, so a recommissioning process is required.

 

 

9.3.3

The current legal contractual arrangements in place for these services expire on 31 March 2020, so carrying out this process at this time will allow us to ensure there is continuity of service, with new contracts commencing on 1st April 2020, and to offer the necessary savings to the Public Health Grant with minimum impact on frontline service.  This was the over-arching action set out in the Drug Strategy 2018-2022.

 

 

9.3.4

The service will be based on local need and trend analysis, and performance data for current service provision will inform where change and improvement is needed for the forthcoming contract period.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

There is not a ‘do nothing’ option available: all SCC commissioned substance misuse support contracts now end on 31st March 2020 and in order to ensure there is legally contracted provision from 1st April 2020 a new commissioning process must be carried out in a timely manner.  The ending of all the contracts on the same date allows us the opportunity to ensure our vision, as set out in the drug and alcohol strategies, are realised via the commissioned treatment provision, and achieve savings and efficiencies by streamlining and integrating the service and remove barriers for service users such as duplication and issues with information sharing.

 

 

9.4.2

The commissioning process also allows us to review our outcomes, and focus attention and prioritise areas where improvement is required.

 

 

9.4.3

The alternative option in terms of the model would be to commission two or more separate contracts to mirror the current provision. However, the outcome of the consultation was overwhelmingly that a one contract model was preferred by staff, stakeholders and service users.  It also offers the opportunity for reduced overheads in a time when savings are required, and so is the sensible approach to providing these savings while minimising the impact on frontline service.

 

 

9.4.4

Another option considered is the Council taking on the delivery of these services and running them as a Council service.  This has been rejected for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the services involve a significant element of clinical expertise and delivery of high volume clinic based activity.  Secondly, the Council has no experience or delivery knowledge of these services and has no past precedent for running them, whereas there is a well-developed market of qualified and experienced providers who would be willing and able to deliver these services if successful in the competitive tender process.  This is evidenced through our current service delivery arrangements.  Finally, the Council has no systems in place for clinical supervision of a workforce, licences to hold medication, is unable to manage safe prescribing: and the costs of setting this up would be disproportionately high and poor value for money when existing fit for purpose options exist in this market.

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: