To receive a report, exempt from publication, providing details of the Facing the Challenge market engagement exercise for Legal Services.
Minutes:
Geoff Wild (Director of Governance and Law), Ben Watts (Head of Law – Litigation and Social Welfare) and Guy Record (Independent Consultant)
(1) Mr Simmonds (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement) introduced the report which set out details of the conclusions drawn from the Facing the Challenge market engagement for Legal Services and recommendations relating to the implementation of the Council’s commissioning strategy and a new service delivery model for Kent Legal Services.
(2) The report was welcomed by the Cabinet Committee. Officers responded to questions raised about: the length of the proposed contract; the assumptions made about the transfer of existing work to the new entity; the ability to attract new work in a competitive environment; and the transfer of existing staff.
(3) Mr Record gave a presentation which set out the approach taken to assessing value for money and a comparison of the two options considered.
(4) Resolved that the recommendations to Cabinet be endorsed as follows:
(a) That the Council does not enter into a joint venture and officers be instructed to advise the remaining bidder that their bid had been unsuccessful;
(b) That the Council proceeds to create a wholly-owned company and seeks Solicitors’ Regulation Authority approval for it to operate as an Alternative Business Structure for the delivery of legal services to the Council and the wider market;
(c) That the Council concludes the procurement process by awarding the contract for legal services to a wholly-owned company.
Supporting documents: