Purpose

The West London Alliance (WLA)
leads on projects where there is benefit in multiple Local
Authorities working collaboratively to deliver improved outcomes
and value for money. This report sets out a
number of projects being led by the WLA with recommendations
put forward to support delivery. 

Content

That the Cabinet Member for
Inclusive Economy:
 
Support for Ukrainians
 

      
i.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to enter into an
agreement with GLA, and other bodies that control European Social
Fund (ESF) funding, to access up to £3.5m of European Union
funds to support Ukrainian refugees across the 7 west London
boroughs, as re-imbursement for Services provided in Calendar year
2022.

    
ii.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to enter into a
further agreement(s) with GLA, and other bodies that control
European Social Fund (ESF) funding to access European Union funds
to support Ukrainian refugees across the 7 west London boroughs, if
necessary, should the programme be extended to cover services
provided in 2023.

   
iii.         
Authorised the Director of the WLA to distribute
funding, if successful, less the expenditure required to collect
and distribute the funding, to the other 6 West London Boroughs, in
proportion to the numbers of refugees supported that they
are able to gather the required evidence
for and enter into necessary agreements with the 6 West London
Boroughs on the distribution of the funding.
 
Work
and Health Programme (WHP)
 

   
iv.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to enter into an
addendum to vary the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) made between
the DWP & Ealing Council dated 6th February 2017 in relation to
the design, procurement and live running arrangement for the Work
and Health Programme (the “WHP”) and to enter into an
addendum to the WHP Funding and Costings Framework with the DWP
dated 24 January 2018 which sets out the financial principles and
processes to be followed by the DWP and WLA in its financial
engagement with regard to the WLA Work and Health Programme to
secure further funding for the Work & Health Contract of up to
£5.5m for Year 8 extension.

    
v.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to enter into
necessary agreements to access UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
funding of up to £6m for 2023/25 with GLA, DWP and other
Central Government departments.

   
vi.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to enter into
necessary agreements to access UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
funding in the UK government spending round covering financial
years 2025/2026 to 2027/28, should UKSPF be continued, with GLA,
DWP and other Central Government departments.

 
vii.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to modify and
increase the value of the WHP contract between LBE and The Shaw
Trust limited dated 17th November 2017 (“the WHP
Contract”) by up to £16.004m, to deliver the UKSPF
extension; the additional DWP funding’ and the ESF evidence
gathering required by to access ESF funding and enter into a variation/change control to the WHP
Contract to give effect to these changes.
 
Increase Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) rebranded as
Talking Therapies
 

 viii.         
Authorised the Director of WLA to accept funding
from the NHS for up to £6m to fund Employment Advisers in
Increase Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), rebranded as
Talking Therapies in Primary mental health.
 
Procurement of Residential and Nursing Care for Older
Adults
 

   
ix.         
Authorised Ealing to act as lead authority on behalf
of WLA participating boroughs (Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow,
Hammersmith & Fulham, City of Westminster, and Royal Borough of
Kensington & Chelsea) to jointly develop and procure a Dynamic
Purchasing System (DPS) or a flexible framework under the light
touch regime flexibilities permitted by the Public Contracts
Regulations 2015 (to include inviting and evaluating tenders from
providers applying to join the DPS or framework) for independent
residential and nursing provision. The arrangement will be for an
initial contract term of 4 years with option to extend for a
further 4 years an initial value of up to £1.7 billion for
the first 4 year period and £3.4
billion for 8 years.

    
x.         
LB Ealing’s estimated annual spend was c
£32m; £128m over the first 4 years and £512m for
8 years through this contract.

   
xi.         
Delegated authority to the Director of WLA, upon
completion of the tender process, to appoint bidders to the DPS or
flexible framework for independent residential and nursing
provision and enter into suitable
contracts line with the evaluation criteria if suitable tenders are
received.

 
xii.         
Delegated authority to the Director of WLA to add
additional suppliers onto the DPS or flexible framework for
independent residential and nursing provision throughout the term
of the DPS/flexible framework in accordance with its rules and
selection criteria following its establishment.

 xiii.         
Authorised the Director of WLA for Ealing to enter
into Access Agreements with Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow,
Harrow, Hammersmith & Fulham, City of Westminster, The Royal
Borough of Kensington & Chelsea with other authorities joining
if appropriate (following consultation with the Director of Legal
& Democratic Services) for independent residential and nursing
provision.

xiv.         
Delegated authority to the Director Adults Services
to award contracts from the DPS/flexible framework for independent
residential and nursing provision in accordance with its call off
rules.

 
xv.         
Noted that a decision on how to best apply the Real
Living Wage in the shared procurement following the impact
evaluation and consultation with key stakeholders will be taken by
considering the sub-region’s position in tandem with
Ealing’s requirements. The approach is detailed in section
3.1.7 – 3.1.8 .

xvi.         
Noted that a decision on how best to include social
value within a shared contract will be taken by considering the
sub-region’s position in tandem with Ealing’s
requirements.
 
Procurement of Supported Living 18+
 

xvii.         
Authorised Ealing to act as lead authority on behalf
of WLA participating boroughs (Brent, and Harrow, to jointly
develop and procure a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) or a flexible
framework under the light touch regime flexibilities permitted by
the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (to include inviting and
evaluating tenders from providers applying to join the DPS or
framework) for supported living provision. The arrangement will be
for an initial contract term of 4 years with option to extend for a
further 4 years with an initial value of up to £416 million
for the first 4 year period and
£832 million for 8 years. LB Ealing’s estimated annual
spend is c £20m; £80m over the first 4 years and
£160m for 8 years through this contract.

xviii.         
Delegated authority to the Director of WLA, upon
completion of the tender process, to appoint bidders to the DPS or
flexible framework for supported living provision and enter into suitable contracts with the evaluation
criteria if suitable tenders are received.

xix.         
Authorised the Director of WLA for Ealing to enter
into Access Agreements with Brent Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow,
Harrow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and The City of Westminster, with other
authorities joining if appropriate (following consultation with the
Director of Legal & Democratic Services).

 
xx.         
Delegated authority to the Director Adults Services
to award contracts from the DPS/flexible framework for supported
living provision in accordance with its call off rules.

xxi.         
Noted that a decision on how to best apply the Real
Living Wage in the shared procurement following the impact
evaluation and consultation with key stakeholders will be taken by
considering the sub-region’s position in tandem with
Ealing’s requirements. The approach is detailed in section
3.1.7 – 3.1.8

xxii.         
Noted that a decision on how best to include social
value within a shared contract will be taken by considering the
sub-region’s position in tandem with Ealing’s
requirements.
 
Setting the Standard
 

xxiii.         
Authorised the Director of WLA, to enter into a rolling contract with individual
boroughs and other organisations wishing to continue participation
in the Setting the Standard project under which Ealing Council will
provide services encompassing:

a)   
The approved temporary accommodation Providers
scheme;
b)   
Inspections regime;
c)    
Technology (specifically the STS Portal)
and;
d)   
The IBAA Monitoring System which is an on-line
system for recording and reporting on placement and cost data for
all accommodation placements of homeless and potentially homeless
households by London boroughs in the private rented
sector.
 
The
approximate value of all the contracts in total (combined) will be
£1,082,788 per annum. The individual
 contracts averages at around
£34k per borough.