Issue - meetings

To receive the report from the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services and the Corporate Director for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing and to endorse the Cabinet Member’s proposed decision to award the contract for delivery of services

Mr T Wilson, Head of Strategic Commissioning, and Ms M Hall, Commissioning Manager, were in attendance for this item.

1.         The Chairman asked Members of the Committee if they wished to refer to the information included in the exempt appendix to the report.  Members confirmed that they did not and the item was therefore considered without going into closed session.

2.            Mr Wilson introduced the item and explained that, since drafting the report, it had become clear that the current provider was unable to continue to deliver the service up to the planned start of the new contract. He asked for the Committee’s support for the proposed decision to award the new contract to be taken as a matter of urgency, to avoid there being a gap in provision.

3.            Mr Wilson responded to comments and questions and the following points were highlighted:-

a)    as part of the screening process, all potential bidders had been asked about how they would deliver an expanding service at a lower price than was being paid currently. All had confirmed that they would be able to deliver the required service at the lower price, and accepted that robust monitoring by the County Council would form part of the contract conditions; and

b)    assessment of health issues relating to a child being placed for adoption was a key part of the established adoption process.  Mr Wilson undertook to respond to a questioner in more detail outside the meeting about how adopters, and indeed the child being adopted, would be made aware of any hereditary health issue of which the birth family became aware after adoption. Mr Scott-Clark added that a screening programme for all children at birth would help to identify any health issues. 

4.            RESOLVED that:-

a)     the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Specialist Children’s Services, to agree that the contract for the delivery of Independent Adoption and Special Guardianship Order support services across Kent be awarded, on the terms and for the duration set out in the report, be endorsed; and

b)    the taking of this decision as a matter of urgency be supported, to avoid there being a gap in provision before the start of the new contract.