The Director of Children’s Services has decided to approve the direct award of a contract to Polaris Children’s Services Limited in the sum of £109,999.98 for a period of 6 months from 1st May 2025 – 31st October 2025 for the provision of Therapeutic Support for Children Looked After (CLA). 

The decision to re-tender for the service that provides Mental Health and Wellbeing support for CLA in Wirral was approved via a Key Decision Officer Decision Notice in October 2024.

A procurement exercise was initiated in December 2024.  However, following an unsatisfactory response to the tender process it has been agreed that it is not in the Council’s best interests to proceed to award.

A further process will be initiated as soon as possible. This will be run under the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023.  It is hoped that the new process will allow the Local Authority to engage some of the flexibilities offered by those provisions.

To accommodate delays in the tender process the existing contract delivered by Polaris Children’s Services was extended for a period of 1 month commencing 1^st April 2025 at a cost of £18,333.33.

To allow the Local Authority sufficient time to initiate and undertake the new procurement process it has been agreed that the council will need to continue with the current service model delivered by Polaris Children’s Services for a further period of 6 months commencing 1^st May 2025 at a cost of £109,999.98.

The short term renewal of the current arrangements with Polaris Children’s Services Limited is necessary to avoid a gap in service and to ensure continuity of support for young people in care receiving therapeutic interventions.

The corporate parenting responsibilities of the Council include having a duty under section 22(3)(a) of the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of Children Looked After.  This obligation includes the physical, emotional and mental health of the Child Looked After and acting on any early signs of health issues.

The Council’s Children Looked After and Care Leavers Strategy 22-25 identifies emotional and physical health and wellbeing as a priority.

The direct award of this contract has been sanctioned by the Head of Procurement as an exception to the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules as set out in the Council’s constitution at Part 4, Section 6 Contract Procedure Rules sections 12.4.1 b) compatibility issues such that procurement from another source would be uneconomic given the investment in previous infrastructure and 12.4.1 c) a waiver of the rules would be in the interests of the Council, be lawful, and provide value for money.

Not to commission a short term contract.  Rejected as the council would be in breach of its statutory requirement to safeguard and promote the welfare of Looked After Children.

To commission a short-term contract of a different duration. -  Rejected as there is a desire to test the market.  The proposed duration is considered to be the optimum length to enable a more interactive and relevant procurement process (as sanctioned by the Procurement Act 2023), to be run.