Decision

Authority granted to waive Contract Standing Orders and appoint New Street Consulting Group to provide an Interim Compliance Manager. The engagement is based on a rate of £826 per day plus VAT, with an anticipated six-month contract value of £125,552 plus VAT.

Reasons for the decision

There is an urgent requirement to strengthen housing compliance arrangements following the council’s C4 judgement. The Interim Compliance Manager will provide specialist expertise, oversight and support for delivery of the Housing Improvement Plan and help ensure compliance with statutory landlord responsibilities. Immediate appointment is necessary to reduce the risks of regulatory non-compliance, tenant safety failures, failure to deliver improvement actions and further scrutiny from the Regulator of Social Housing.

Alternative options considered

A full procurement process was considered but rejected because it would delay the appointment at a critical stage of the council’s recovery programme. Three agencies were approached and candidates assessed by a panel of three officers. It was determined that immediate engagement of a specialist resource represented the most appropriate option, balancing urgency, risk mitigation and value for money.