Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, and the Director of Public Health, and to consider and endorse or make proposals to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to extend the contract for the Kent Young Persons’ Substance Misuse Service until December 2017, and the proposed commissioning approach to procure a new contract during 2017/18.

Ms K Sharp, Head of Public Health Commissioning, was in attendance for this item.

1.    Ms Sharp introduced the report which explained that the contract for the contract for the Kent Young Persons’ Substance Misuse Service was due for renewal in March 2017, and the existing provider was performing well. Under the terms of the contract, an extension could be granted until December 2017.  Public Health would develop a new service specification and start a procurement process in order to have a new service in place from January 2018. Funding had already been identified and included within the 17/18 public health budget. 

2.    Ms Sharp then responded to questions raised by the Committee Members and made points including the following:

·         The £640,500 set aside in the budget for the nine-month extension was the maximum amount that could be paid, but potential efficiencies were being discussed with the provider.

·         There were 350 presently accessing the service, and the waiting period was less than 3 weeks.  There were 110 on the waiting list.

·         The service did go out to schools.  They were also promoting the use of the RisKit programme, which was a tool focussed on risk taking among young people, and how this behaviour could be managed. 

3.    RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health to endorse the proposed decision to extend the contract for the Kent Young Persons’ Substance Misuse Service until December 2017, and the proposed commissioning approach to procure a new contract during 2017/18, be endorsed.