Agenda item

8.1

The Head of Commissioning – Children and Families was in attendance to present a report which sought approval to uplift the short breaks budget to create additional capacity within the service to meet the needs of children with disabilities and their families. The report sought approval to extend the current Framework Agreement for Short Breaks for 12 months until 31^st March 2025.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee approves the following changes to the existing commissioning strategy for Short Breaks: -

-       an extension of the commissioning strategy for a period of 12 months (to 31st March 2025) at an estimated value of £754,110

-       an increase in the budget/capacity for short breaks services from now until 31st March 2025 at an estimated cost of £302,556

-       the addition of transition services at an estimated value of £100,852

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

8.3.2

8.3.3

8.3.4

To seek approval from the Education, Children and Families Committee to extend the current Short Breaks service for a further 12 months, from the 31st of March 2024 to the 1st April 2025 and commission additional capacity and a Transitions short break for the remainder of 23/24 and 24/25 to meet current and projected demand. This ensures that the Council can meet its statutory duty to provide short breaks for all families that need the service without delay or disruption.

Extending the contract will enable a further year to test and review the current delivery model and gather a comprehensive data set including feedback from key stakeholders and opportunities for coproduction. It will allow Commissioning to broaden the scope of the Framework to streamline the Short Breaks Service offer and engage proactively with the market by developing a Market Position Statement to support sufficiency. Learning and strategic direction from the Governments Change Programme will also influence this process.

We have a statutory duty to provide short break services. They deliver improved long-term outcomes, keeping families together and enabling children to develop new skills. Children with disabilities and their families have been particularly impacted by Covid, and again with the cost of living rise. Extending the contract for 12 months minimises disruption and allows children to settle into their provision now it is fully compliant with the original specification post pandemic.

The Council requires short breaks in order to:

• meet the needs of our children

• to provide clubs and activities that our children look forward to going to

• offer a range of support in the form of short breaks so that families have a choice of what they feel will be helpful

• look at the local communities where these children live and belong to see if there are Providers that can offer varied and engaging short breaks

• to know what we can do so that existing clubs are inclusive of children with additional needs.

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

8.4.2

8.4.3

8.4.4

The Transitions short break and additional short break capacity could be tendered separately, outside of the Framework Agreement. This would be timely and less cost effective for the Council. Commissioning this separately would add further complexity and potential cost to the commissioning arrangements for short breaks and create confusion for the market place as existing Framework Providers would potentially bid for this work. The Framework Providers have already been tested and quality assured and the DPS allows for additional capacity to be sought through existing Providers.

A shorter recommissioning process is an option; by utilising current data and intelligence and conducting small scale stakeholder feedback and market engagement to mitigate the risk identified above. However, the services commissioned may not be based on sufficient evidence and stakeholder and market engagement which undermines the process. This option cannot guarantee that the services commissioned are evidence based, supported by key stakeholders or that the market is primed to deliver anything other than what they already deliver. This option greatly reduces the opportunity to broaden the scope of the Framework and incorporate the Governments learning from their Change Programme.

Short breaks are delivered in community venues around the city by providers with appropriate buildings and facilities, and the experience and infrastructure required to offer high quality, safe provision. Commissioning a short breaks model in this way supports the council’s best value duty and ensures that the council has sufficient short breaks provision with a built in option to upscale to meet demand. It would be extremely challenging for the council to deliver such an expansive and specialised service across the range of venues in-house as the services are sessional and run on the same day and time each week across the city. Providers overcome this challenge Page 61 Page 12 of 12 by delivering a range of other services and contracts which make renting premises and hiring staff viable and provides consistency for children and families.

There are no additional implications arising out of the request to extend the current services.

8.1

The Head of Commissioning – Children and Families was in attendance to present a report which sought approval to uplift the short breaks budget to create additional capacity within the service to meet the needs of children with disabilities and their families. The report sought approval to extend the current Framework Agreement for Short Breaks for 12 months until 31^st March 2025.

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee approves the following changes to the existing commissioning strategy for Short Breaks: -

-       an extension of the commissioning strategy for a period of 12 months (to 31st March 2025) at an estimated value of £754,110

-       an increase in the budget/capacity for short breaks services from now until 31st March 2025 at an estimated cost of £302,556

-       the addition of transition services at an estimated value of £100,852

8.3

Reasons for Decision

8.3.1

8.3.2

8.3.3

8.3.4

To seek approval from the Education, Children and Families Committee to extend the current Short Breaks service for a further 12 months, from the 31st of March 2024 to the 1st April 2025 and commission additional capacity and a Transitions short break for the remainder of 23/24 and 24/25 to meet current and projected demand. This ensures that the Council can meet its statutory duty to provide short breaks for all families that need the service without delay or disruption.

Extending the contract will enable a further year to test and review the current delivery model and gather a comprehensive data set including feedback from key stakeholders and opportunities for coproduction. It will allow Commissioning to broaden the scope of the Framework to streamline the Short Breaks Service offer and engage proactively with the market by developing a Market Position Statement to support sufficiency. Learning and strategic direction from the Governments Change Programme will also influence this process.

We have a statutory duty to provide short break services. They deliver improved long-term outcomes, keeping families together and enabling children to develop new skills. Children with disabilities and their families have been particularly impacted by Covid, and again with the cost of living rise. Extending the contract for 12 months minimises disruption and allows children to settle into their provision now it is fully compliant with the original specification post pandemic.

The Council requires short breaks in order to:

• meet the needs of our children

• to provide clubs and activities that our children look forward to going to

• offer a range of support in the form of short breaks so that families have a choice of what they feel will be helpful

• look at the local communities where these children live and belong to see if there are Providers that can offer varied and engaging short breaks

• to know what we can do so that existing clubs are inclusive of children with additional needs.

8.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

8.4.1

8.4.2

8.4.3

8.4.4

The Transitions short break and additional short break capacity could be tendered separately, outside of the Framework Agreement. This would be timely and less cost effective for the Council. Commissioning this separately would add further complexity and potential cost to the commissioning arrangements for short breaks and create confusion for the market place as existing Framework Providers would potentially bid for this work. The Framework Providers have already been tested and quality assured and the DPS allows for additional capacity to be sought through existing Providers.

A shorter recommissioning process is an option; by utilising current data and intelligence and conducting small scale stakeholder feedback and market engagement to mitigate the risk identified above. However, the services commissioned may not be based on sufficient evidence and stakeholder and market engagement which undermines the process. This option cannot guarantee that the services commissioned are evidence based, supported by key stakeholders or that the market is primed to deliver anything other than what they already deliver. This option greatly reduces the opportunity to broaden the scope of the Framework and incorporate the Governments learning from their Change Programme.

Short breaks are delivered in community venues around the city by providers with appropriate buildings and facilities, and the experience and infrastructure required to offer high quality, safe provision. Commissioning a short breaks model in this way supports the council’s best value duty and ensures that the council has sufficient short breaks provision with a built in option to upscale to meet demand. It would be extremely challenging for the council to deliver such an expansive and specialised service across the range of venues in-house as the services are sessional and run on the same day and time each week across the city. Providers overcome this challenge Page 61 Page 12 of 12 by delivering a range of other services and contracts which make renting premises and hiring staff viable and provides consistency for children and families.

There are no additional implications arising out of the request to extend the current services.