Content

Declarations of
interest made for this item:
 
None.
 
RESOLVED
 
That pursuant to Contract Standing Order 18.02
(contract variations & extensions), and 0.0.8 (approval by
Cabinet Member), the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
(Deputy Leader) approved:
 

1.   
The extension of the contract for the provision of a mobile
workforce management system to Total Mobile Limited for an
additional 11 months from 23 November 2025 to 22 October 2026 at a
cost of £202,028.
 

2.   
The development fees and project management costs of £40,049
associated with Connect dashboards development and upgrade to
Mobilise platform.
 

3.   
Agreed the total costs contained within Appendix A - Exempt
Report.
 
Reasons for
decision
 
Service Continuity:
Total Mobile has been the primary system
supporting repairs operations. Extending the contract ensured the
continuity of service, which was fundamental for maintaining
consistent and reliable repairs provision and directly impacted
tenant satisfaction and overall service quality. A change at this
time would introduce significant risk until such time as the
backlog of repairs has been cleared in full.
 
Strategic Procurement Planning:
Digital Services were currently planning a
full procurement for a new Mobile Workforce system. This 11-month
extension provided the necessary time and stability to conduct a
thorough procurement, implementation, and transition process,
mitigating the high risk of operational disruption associated with
a new system deployment.
 
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
Meeting Awaab's Law and HHSRS: The
upgrade from the legacy Connect Mobile platform to Mobilise was
essential for regulatory compliance as the current system was in a
maintenance-only phase and could not support new legislative
demands. Awaab's Law, effective from October 27, 2025, set out
strict statutory deadlines for social landlords to investigate and
resolve hazards. The Mobilise platform provided the necessary
capabilities, including a live audit trail of actions,
investigations, and works completed, which was critical to evidence
compliance and avoid legal action. Furthermore, Mobilise supported
the full suite of 29 Housing Health and Safety Rating System
(HHSRS) forms, including Asbestos management, resolving a major
limitation of the current platform.
 
Financial Prudence
 
Cost-Effectiveness: Extending the existing
contract was a commercially advantageous and cost-effective
decision. The current agreement was based on the G Cloud 12
procurement framework, which had a lower pricing structure than the
current G Cloud 14 framework where all suppliers had increased
prices. Exercising the final 11-month extension under the existing
terms maximised the time the Council benefited from the
commercially lower legacy pricing structure.
Minimising Disruption:
 
Staff were already trained and familiar with
the Total Mobile system. Extending the contract minimised
disruption and the need for additional training and allowed the
team to focus on their core responsibilities without the need to
adapt to a new housing system.
 
By extending the contract with Total Mobile,
officers were making a strategic decision that prioritised
operational stability, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement
in our repairs’ operations.
 
Alternative options
considered
 
Do Nothing: This option was rejected as
the current contract expires on 22 November 2025, which would leave
the service without a mobile workforce management system and pose a
serious detriment to the delivery of repairs.
 
Develop our own mobile workforce management
system: This was rejected because the Council's Digital
Services lacks the capability to develop an application of this
size and complexity.
 
Procure a new housing repairs system:
This option was rejected due to the significant time and resources
required to carry out a full procurement. This 11-month extension
provides the necessary time for Digital Services to carry out a
full procurement for a new Mobile Workforce system which they have
initiated. Progress on this procurement is reported to the Housing
IT Board.