Issue - meetings

EXTRA CARE TENDER

Meeting: 02/03/2021 - Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee (Item 42)

42 EXTRA CARE TENDER pdf icon PDF 138 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Jayne Marshall, Community Care Lead Commissioner, introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which sought the Committee’s approval to re-tender the Care and Support services within the existing Extra Care Housing schemes in Wirral.

 

The report outlined that there were 250 existing units of Extra Care Housing in Wirral across five sites, the contracts for which were due to end. The proposed retendering of the services was proposed to take place using the Liverpool City Region Extra Care Housing Flexible Purchasing system which enabled providers from across the city region to be used, but also included the current providers. The proposed duration of the contract was five years, with providers able to apply for one or more of the schemes, but only up to a maximum of three schemes in order to spread the risk across the market and ensure equity within the car market to support sustainability.

 

Members expressed their preference for a provider who would commit to paying the Real Living Wage. It was reported that all of the existing providers had signed up to pay the Real Living Wage and it was anticipated that any future provider would also commit to paying it.

 

Members felt that payment of the Real Living Wage should be a requirement of the tendering process and therefore an additional recommendation was proposed, moved by Councillor Michael Collins and seconded by Councillor Kate Cannon.

 

‘That the Committee would wish to see that one of the criteria for eligibility to tender for Extra Care Housing would be that the provider would pay the Real Living Wage, subject to legal advice.’

 

Councillor Tom Usher declared a pecuniary interest by virtue of his employment with Autism Together and left the meeting.

 

The motion was carried unanimously.

 

Resolved – That

 

1.  the commencement of the procurement process for the Care and Support contracts for the existing Extra Care Housing schemes be agreed.

2.  delegated authority be given to the Director of Care and Health to award the tender to the successful bidder following the tender process.

3.  the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee would wish to see that one of the criteria for eligibility to tender for Extra Care Housing would be that the provider would pay the Real Living Wage, subject to legal advice.