Purpose

To request authority to award a contract for
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for Unaccompanied
Asylum-Seeking Children (“UASC”) and former UASC.

Content

That the Corporate Director of Children, Young
People and Community Development:
 
i)              
Approves the award of contract for UASC Emotional Wellbeing Service
for 3 years in the sum of £300,000.00 to Afghanistan &
Central Asian Association (“ACAA”).

Reasons for the decision

An emotional wellbeing service for UASC will
provide bespoke support for this cohort of young people, based on
evidence of need. Council officers have undertaken a procurement
exercise and identified ACAA as the contractor providing the most
economically advantageous offer in accordance with agreed
evaluation criteria and therefore recommend award of contract for
UASC Emotional Wellbeing Service to ACAA.

Alternative options considered

Officers considered whether the Emotional
Wellbeing and Mental Health Support for UASC and former UASC could
be provided by the Council itself, but concluded that, owing to
specialist skillset and knowledge, it is best provided by a
contractor.
 
Officers reviewed a range of procurement
options, including the use of frameworks, but concluded that a
tender process was the most appropriate means of procuring a
contract.