Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform attached.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Health and Public Service Reform presented a report seeking approval to award a three-year contract to the Council’s Local Authority Trading Company, Persona. The contract will be awarded via a vertical arrangement (formerly known as a Teckal exemption), which allows the Council to proceed without a full competitive tender under the new Procurement Regulations.

Councillor Bernstein asked whether the funding requirement for the contract would decrease over the three-year period.

Councillor Tariq confirmed that the funding requirement does decrease over the term of the contract. He added that Persona remains highly committed to delivering quality services and continues to set an exemplary standard in its operations.

Decision:

The Cabinet:

1.    Approved the award of a 3-year contract to Persona under a vertical procurement arrangement for the delivery of Bury Council Adult Social Care Workforce Support Programme for total cost of £1,089,000.

Reasons for the decision:

Persona is the Council’s Local Authority Trading Company for Adult Social Care. It has its own workforce of 450 and over the years has developed core strengths in social care workforce management which have been recognised within Bury and Greater Manchester. Persona was the first adult social care provider to become a Member of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter and has won awards with Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter for best large employer and best for inclusion. Persona has a strong reputation for workforce management and creative approaches to recruitment. Its position as a strategic partner to the Council puts it in a unique position to play an extended role in supporting the Council in its wider strategic aims. As a partner in the Integrated Delivery Collaborative Board, Persona has a remit to work as a system partner to share best practice and expertise for the benefit of Bury.

Persona can deliver the current service, with additional support measures for providers on top, at a reduced cost compared to the current contract. This provides best value for money for the Local Authority.

Alternative options considered and rejected:

A full re-tender of the service was considered but the proposal made by Persona was competitively priced and delivered a greater level of support to providers so a re-tender was not sought.