Background Information:
A decision was made in 2011 to replace the existing social care system, and to develop a new ICT Strategy for Children’s Social Services. This went to cabinet on 18/07/2011 where ‘Cabinet resolved to endorse the overall ICS Programme and Strategy as detailed in the Cabinet report so that the programme could continue to deliver against the immediate needs of Children’s Services. Also now having put in place a framework for the sustainable delivery of ongoing changes to the ICT system, practice and policies in use by Children’s Service, Cabinet further resolved that a process should now be commenced for the procurement and implementation of a suitable long-term ICT solution.’
The procurement and contract award then took place and Liquidlogic was awarded the contract in March 2012, with a value of £800,000. Following successful use of the system, the contract has been added to in the last 8 years to include additional workspaces and portals, and modules for Early Help, Troubled Families and the Disabled Children’s Service.
We are already towards the end of the first year of this two-year contract extension as it has taken time to agree the paperwork for the extension with the supplier (Liquidlogic) and ICT Commissioning, and it was only once this paperwork was passed to Strategic Commissioning that it was discovered that the contract extension period now takes us over the £1 million threshold.
It is important that we have ongoing continuity of a social care and early help system for recording and evidencing our support and interventions with children, young people and families. This ensures we can safeguard children, meet our statutory duties, fulfil our statutory return obligations to the DfE, and ensure we can evidence the impact of our work to Ofsted.
The current contract will end in March 2021 and we are already planning for the next contract award.
Decision:
The Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services is asked to extend the current contract with Liquidlogic until 2021.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Expenditure or savings of more than £1m;
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Division affected: (All Division);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 07/04/2020
Decision due: Not before 12th May 2020 by Cabinet Member for Integrated Children's Services
Reason: In order that the proposed decision can be published for a minimum of 28 days, in accordance with statutory requirements
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Integrated Children's Services
Lead director: Stuart Collins
Department: Education & Young People's Services
Contact: Katherine Atkinson, Assistant Director, Management Information and Intelligence, Integrated Children's Services Tel: 03000 417013.
Consultees
This decision will follow Kent County Council’s contract awards policy.
Financial implications: The two year contract extension is for ongoing annual software and maintenance of the existing system, to ensure it is still supported and upgraded to continue to meet our statutory requirements. These are revenue costs paid for by ICT Commissioning. There are no capital costs as the system has already been implemented. We are seeking formal approval for the two-year contract extension as this means that the contract awarded in 2012 now exceeds the £1 million threshold.
Legal implications: We are within the two year optional extension of the Liquidlogic contract, so this is within the remit of the contract that we have in place.
Equalities implications: These were considered as part of the original procurement and implementation process. This decision does not propose any change to current processing or recording. When tendering for the new contract in 2021 the EqIA will be updated as part of the decision-making process.