Decision details

In the light of consideration of the Council’s budget strategy, the Cabinet will be asked to agree arrangements for the procurement of two contracts for services under the Corporate Grants and Commissioning Programme for 2013/14 - 2014/15. One of the contracts considered also includes funding from other Council advice service commissions

The Cabinet Member for Crime, Justice and Communities introduced a report on the proposed corporate grants and commissioning programme for 2013/14 and 2014/15.

The Cabinet Member advised that, in the light of the budget savings agreed earlier in the meeting, the main focus of the programme was to protect advice services and volunteer support that provided the most immediate front-line benefit to residents.  To that end, it was proposed to tender for two new services which combined a number of functions and current contracts in order to ensure that the Council obtained best value for money and that robust services could be delivered within the reduced budget.

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  The procurement strategy, as detailed in the report, in respect of the following:

·  The Voluntary and Community Sector Support Service

·  Advice, Case Work and Enhanced Welfare Benefits Service

  (ii)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to award the contracts to the successful tenderers; and

 (iii)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Crime, Justice and Communities, to determine the reallocation to the local voluntary sector of any funding that may become available during 2013/14 and 2014/15 as a result of further reductions to the Council’s contribution to London Councils.