Purpose

Allowing the direct award via Exception will
ensure the Council remains compliant with the Council’s
Contract Procurement and Procedure Rules (CPPR) and will ensure the
Council can comply with the Pan Regional Commissioning initiative
funded by the Department for Education.
This initiative is to explore the effectiveness and value for money
of commissioning services for Post Order Adoption services across
the Regional Adoption Agencies.

Decision

That approval is given for the direct award,
via Exception to the Council’s Contract and Procurement
Procedure Rules, of a contract with Jon Hawketts via Nottingham
City Council, for the completion of a Strategic Needs Assessment to
underpin and develop pan-regional working and prepare for future
devolvement of grant funding and the Adoption and Special
Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in relation to Post Order
Support.

The direct award under this Exception will be valid from 11th
November 2025 until 31st March 2026 or until the joint Strategic
Needs Assessment is completed. This supports the plan of
implementation of greater flexibility and consistency of Post Order
Adoption Services across the Pan Region.

The overall value of the direct award under this Exception shall
not exceed £64,400 (Inclusive of VAT).

Alternative options considered

Alternative Option 1 – Conduct Request for Quotations (RFQs)
Procurements:
There are insufficient resources to run an RFQ to meet the tight
timescales that are required before March 2026.
The devolution of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support
Fund (ASGSF) timescales and plan remains uncertain at this
juncture; however, the timeliness is pertinent for all Regional
Adoption Agencies to join forces within a Pan Region to address
inefficiencies and improve value for money across the pan
region.

Alternative Option 2 – Do Nothing
The grant from Adoption England is a government funded programme
until end of March 2026 to enable the Pan Region to secure future
funding to develop and maintain essential services to those
eligible under the ASGSF.
To direct purchase without approval by Exception places the Council
at risk of non-compliance with the Council’s own CPPR and,
potentially, The Procurement Act 2023 (PA2023).