Decision details
CONTRACT AWARD FOR CAPACITY TO INVESTIGATE AND POTENTIALLY ESTABLISH A NON-FOR-PROFIT ENTERPRISE FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF SOCIAL WORKERS – PHASE 1
Decision Maker: Director of Children, Families and Education
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
The Director for Children, Families and
Education Services has decided to award a DfE grant funded contract
in the sum of £170,000 to for a term of 12 months to , Public
Services Lab LLP (Trading as ‘Capacity') of Suite 3A, Queen
Insurance Building 24 Queen Avenue Liverpool L2 4TZ, Company
Registration No: OC414783) to conduct Phase 1 of the proposal to
incubate and pilot an innovative, not-for-profit alternative
delivery vehicle to the commercial staffing agencies currently used
to recruit temporary children’s social workers in the
Northwest of England.
Reasons for the decision:
The purposes of the proposed new alternative
delivery vehicle will be to:
• increase the stability of the permanent workforce in
children’s social care
• increase the quality of the temporary workforce in
children’s social care
• reduce the costs associated with agency employees.
Improve outcomes for service users, through the attraction,
retention and conversion of Children’s Social Workers into
permanent roles
Thus supporting one of our thematic priorities within the Wirral
Plan 2021-2026: Brighter Futures - working together for brighter
futures for our children, young people and their families by
breaking the cycle of poor outcomes for all regardless of their
background.
It is anticipated that these purposes will achieve this by pursuing
the following activities in respect of Strategy, Governance and
Planning:
- Obtain legal advice on procurement and legal structure.
- Refine 5-year Financial Model
- Create a Business Plan
- Agree legal structure and set up.
- Develop & deliver LCR Project Group to support in key areas
such as legal, procurement, HR etc.
- Develop & delivery LCR Steering Group
And the following activities in respect of Implementation:
Marketing & Comms Strategy including new brand.
- Recruitment Campaign for key delivery staff.
- Agree key goals for Year 1 test period with Wirral MBC and other
participating authorities.
- Technology development. Includes tendering for digital partner,
if necessary, fast iteration testing and co-design the user
experience with social workers.
- Delivery systems and processes implemented.
- Match and provide agency Social Workers to at least one LA area
in the first year of operating (Capacity will find a Social Worker
with the required skills and fit that ‘matches’ the
needs of that authority and then work with the authority to place
them in the vacancy)
Alternative options considered:
Replicate the Commercial Services Group (CSG)
Recruitment Joint-Venture Model
Do nothing. This option was rejected as each of
- the current cost of employing agency workers;
- the churn of agency staff;
- inconsistencies in their training and aptitude of agency
workers
is considered to be detrimental to the efficient delivery of the
service;
Publication date: 14/11/2023
Date of decision: 14/11/2023