Decision details

1      That Cabinet notes and approve the adoption of the Procurement Strategy and Business Case at Appendix 1 to allow the Council to enter into the following three Access Agreements:

i)               With the London Borough of Barnet for the provision of Independent Fostering Agency placements through a Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle from April 2018 for three years, with three options to extend the term, each option being of one further year

ii)              With the London Borough of Ealing for the provision of Children’s Residential Home placements through a Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle from July 2018 for three years, with three options to extend the term, each option being of one further year

iii)            With the London Borough of Brent for the provision of Special Educational Needs placements at Independent and Non-Maintained Special Schools through a Dynamic Purchasing Vehicle from October 2018 for three years, with three options to extend the term, each option being of one further year.

2      That Cabinet approves payment of £162,000 to the West London Alliance, this sum representing the Council’s contribution to the operation of the three Dynamic Purchasing Vehicles in financial years 2018/19 and 2019/20, during which time the Council benefitted from being allowed to access the three Dynamic Purchasing Vehicles.

3      That Cabinet agrees that a payment of approximately £82,500 in 2020/21 to the West London Alliance to allow the Council to access the three Dynamic Purchasing Vehicles during that financial year. Costs for 2020/21 have not yet been agreed and so this is an estimate based on the previous 2 years.

4      That in the event any or all of the options to extend the three Dynamic Purchasing Vehicles are exercised that Cabinet agrees to delegate the decisions for the Council to continue to access any or all of the three Dynamic Purchasing Vehicles in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24, with a total consequential spend of approximately £247,500, to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children and Education.