Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals to extend the current Avenues contract until March 2011 to enable the completion of a tender process

Further to Minute 65 (29 September 2009), the Corporate Director of Adult and Community Services presented a report providing an update on the remodelling and procurement arrangements for residential care services for people with learning disabilities and the proposal to further extend the current contract with the Avenues Trust while the tender process is being completed.

The Corporate Director advised that the remodelling exercise is aimed at providing service users with the level and type of care that they both want and need, moving away from a reliance on traditional residential home care to a “supported living” model, where service users would each have their own tenancy and a personal budget to commission support services.  This new approach reduces the costs associated with registered care homes and further efficiencies will be achieved through the remodelling process.  The Corporate Director also referred to the present arrangements with Outlook Care and Avenues Trust who currently provide residential care services.

Agreed, in order to accord with the Council’s Contract Rules and statutory obligations and to provide value for money services, to note the report and approve a further extension of the contract with the Avenues Trust for a period up to 31 March 2011 to enable completion of the tender process and award of contract.