Decision details

The current Community Advice contract provides a generalist advice service across West Sussex and will cease on 31^st March 2022. The service model has been developed over many years to meet the specific needs of West Sussex and is funded via a long-standing partnership arrangement between the County Council and District and Borough Councils that dates back to 2010. The current 2019-22 contract provides the majority of the core funding (£1m p.a.) for the service provided by Citizens Advice across West Sussex. The remainder of the funding for the service is raised by Citizens Advice through fundraising and income generated from additional contracts.

In summer 2021 representatives from the Funding Partnership met to discuss the contract including future funding arrangements and contract development within the context of the pandemic and the evident increase in service demand. The Funding Partnership proposed that the County Council, working in partnership with the District and Borough councils, commissions a 3+3+1year contract to continue the service provision for 2022-29.

The proposal is for the contract to run for a period of up to seven years (3+3+1 years). The total value of these contracts is approximately £1.1 million per annum.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing is asked to agree to the commencement of a procurement process starting in November 2021 to secure a contract relating to the provision of Community Advice & Support services from April 2022 for a period of 3+3+1 years and to delegate the awarding of the contract and decisions about future extension of these contracts to the Director of Public Health.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing has approved;

(1)   the procurement of a Community Advice & Support service via an open tender process, from 1^st April 2022 for a period of 3+3+1 years;

(2)   that the County Council leads the tendering process on behalf of our funding partners, the West Sussex District and Borough Councils; and

(3)   that authority is delegated to the Director of Public Health to award the contract to the successful bidder.

None.