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Cabinet agreed two contracts for children's services. It allowed Early Years Managers to award Flying Start childcare places to providers that apply through a dynamic procurement process (a buying system that stays open to new applicants), with an estimated value of £4,024,160 over four years. It also awarded the contract for the Greenhill Bungalow children's care home to a not-for-profit provider after a tender.
1. Attendance Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education Fiona Cross – Executive Member for Communities David Daniels – Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing Joanne Gauden – Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Peter Jones – Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Officers: Nigel Aurelius – Deputy Chief Executive Charlotte Dickens – Early Years Manager Delyth Harries - Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer Dave Leech - Strategic Director for Adults and Communities Jason Lewis - Director, Corporate Services Jason O’Brien – Strategic Director, Children and Family Services Chris Slade – Assistant Democratic and Member Services Team Leader Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive
2.1 No apologies for absence were received.
3.1 There were no declarations of interest.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 4 June 2024 were agreed as a true and accurate record.The minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2022 were confirmed as an accurate record of the meeting
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
The minutes record no declarations of interest.
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5.1 It was noted that there were no outstanding actions.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to: · approve that Early Years Managers are able to award the Flying Start Childcare provision to childcare settings that apply for Flying Start Childcare via the dynamic procurement process, and are assessed as meeting the requirements, and following a Category B approval. · the estimated total value of the tender (£4,024,160) be awarded over a four year period (with an option to extend in year 4, for up to a period of 48 months in total (Tender Ref (T.4544).
6.1 The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education introduced the report which sought to award the Flying Start Childcare provision to childcare settings that applied for Flying Start Childcare via the dynamic procurement process, which was assessed by the Early Years Managers as meeting the specific requirements, and also for approval to be granted going forward through Category B decision awarding. 6.2 The Strategic Director, Children and Family Services added that the tender had been carried out in accordance with the Contract Standing Orders and that the only determined risk was around the report not being approved. 6.3 The Leader asked whether there were any questions. The Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability asked in relation to the tender criteria, whether there was a requirement for them to be specific, or whether the childcare offer was standardised. The Early Years Manager responded that the tender was specific to Torfaen. However, there were minimum standards that they had to meet and any additional requirements were monitored by the CIW, as all childcare providers had to be registered with them. CIW would only engage with those who met the national standard. 6.4 The Leader asked how liaison between childcare providers and schools took place. The Early Years Manager replied that they would go through the school admission process; there were regular admission and transition meetings taking place and there was an officer who was responsible for smooth transition for each child moving into education. 6.5 Cabinet AGREED to: · approve that Early Years Managers are able to award the Flying Start Childcare provision to childcare settings that apply for Flying Start Childcare via the dynamic procurement process, and are assessed as meeting the requirements, and following a Category B approval. · the estimated total value of the tender (£4,024,160) be awarded over a four year period (with an option to extend in year 4, for up to a period of 48 months in total (Tender Ref (T.4544).
Decision as recorded
AGREED that the contract for the provision of the Greenhill Bungalow Residential Care and Support Service provision be awarded to provider ‘one’ following the outcome of a tender process. 7.7 The meeting ended at 10.45am.
7.1 The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education introduced and welcomed the report which had been presented to Cabinet previously, but this element aimed to seek approval to award the contract for the provision of Greenhill Care and Support Service. He explained that the proposal carried a number of criteria that they had to fulfil, specifically around the County Plan. Initially, they were not successful in attracting a bidder and so the contract was revised where they had attracted one; a not-for-profit organisation who was working towards the same goals. The process was weighted 20% on price and 80% on quality. There was no new budget for this, but it would be catered for within the division. He concluded by saying that the new provision would allow children to be returned from out-of-county placements, which would help them stay in the locality of better service provision, including education, and would allow them to be closer to their families and support networks where appropriate. 7.2 The Strategic Director, Children and Family Services commented that the provision did fall in line with Objective 2 of the County Plan and that it would help eliminate profit from care in the looked after children provision, and aimed to improve the quality of local provision. He confirmed that the funding would fall within the service areas budget, but would be used from the budget that would ordinarily be spent on out-of-county placements. The average cost for residential care was £5,724 and so the placements would bring about efficiencies within the budget too. 7.3 The Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability asked what the number of supported placements would be. The Strategic Director, Children and Family Services responded that it was a two-bed provision with an annex which was built as part of the Capital Programme. The annex was separate but was exceptionally well equipped, which could be used by those with disabilities, care leavers or anyone who needed additional support. The report was concentrating on the two-bed element but the potential was there. 7.4 The Executive Member for Communities thanked Officers for pursuing the excellent project, which started when she was in her previous role of Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Communities. She said it would be great to see the Council have its own home-grown provision. 7.5 The Leader commended the report by saying that it fitted in well with the Council’s County Plan Well-being Objective 2 by keeping children in the area to allow them to carry on attending school and have better overall support and provision. 7.6 Cabinet AGREED that the contract for the provision of the Greenhill Bungalow Residential Care and Support Service provision be awarded to provider ‘one’ following the outcome of a tender process. 7.7 The meeting ended at 10.45am.