Issue details

Award of Dynamic Purchasing System Agreements

The County Council has a statutory responsibility to ensure the sufficiency of a variety of accommodation based services and educational placements for children, young people and young adults. This responsibility extends beyond Children who are Looked After (CLA) and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and includes care leavers, those on the edge of care, Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers (UASC) and those at risk of homelessness.

 

Whilst the County Council provides some of these services, the demand is such that a significant number of placements are purchased from the external market and evaluation shows this trend is expected to continue.

 

In July 2018 the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills jointly approved the procurement of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), to facilitate the purchasing of placements for individual children from providers of accommodation based services and educational placements including independent foster and residential care and independent and non-maintained special schools, as and when they are required (Decision reference CYP03 (18/19)). The maximum term of the DPS is to be 7 years starting on 1 March 2019 and concluding on 28th February 2026.  The Cabinet Members also delegated authority to the Director of Children and Family Services to implement the DPS.

 

A procurement process has now taken place and the Director of Children and Family Services is being asked to approve the commencement of awards to providers qualified to join the DPS.

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure > £500,000;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Divisions affected: (All Divisions);

Notice of proposed decision first published: 12/11/2018

Decision due: March 2019 by Director of Children and Family Services

Lead director: Andrew Fraser

Contact: Stuart Gibbons, Strategic Market Development Manager Email: stuart.gibbons@westsussex.gov.uk Tel: 033 022 226218.

Consultation process

Representations concerning this proposed decision can be made to the Executive Director, via the officer contact, by the beginning of the month in which the decision is due to be taken.

Democratic Services Contact: Wendy Saunders - 033 022 22553

Background3: Best Start in Life

Decisions

Background papers