Purpose

A request to move forward with the costs and
procurement to replace systems within adult social care (Eclipse,
Cygnum, Carefirst, Abacus) which are due for renewal.

Content

RESOLVED
 
KEY
DECISION
 
That
the Executive:
 

a)     
Approved the commencement of the procurement process
to purchase and implement a new adult social care case management
system for North Northamptonshire Council.

 

b)     
Approved the recommendation to full council to draw
down of the planned use of the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts
(FUCR) to fund the one-off implementation costs of the procurement
of £2.2m.

 

c)     
Delegated authority to the Executive Director for
Adults, Health Partnerships and Housing (DASS), in consultation
with the Executive Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing, to take
any further decisions and/or actions required to conclude the
procurement, implement the system and deliver the project,
including but not limited to awarding and entering into a
contract.
 
 

Reasons for Recommendations:
 

a)     
The current contract for our Adult Social Care case
management system expires on 31st March 2025. Procuring
a new system ensures that the council remains compliant with
statutory requirements and avoids disruption to critical
services.

b)     
The new system configuration will help to streamline
processes, reduce administrative burden, improve data management,
and support better decision-making.

c)     
A competitive procurement process via a compliant
framework ensures that the council secures the best possible system
at an optimal price. The recommended approach balances
affordability with the need for a high-quality, fit for purpose
solution, ensuring long term value for money.

d)     
A modern case management system will enable the
council to provide more responsive and efficient support to
individuals, leading to improved care coordination, communication,
and engagement.

e)     
The proposed procurement aligns with the
Council’s corporate plan, as well as the Adult social care
strategy, reinforcing the ambition to deliver high quality,
person-centred services.

 

Alternative Options Considered:
 

a)     
The ‘do nothing’ option was ruled out as
the existing system contract expires in March 2025. Without a
system in place, the council would be unable to access case
management functions, leading to severe service disruptions, and
non-compliance with statutory duties.

b)     
The option to extend the current contracts via a
variation was also ruled out due to contract restrictions and legal
risk under the public contract regulations 2015. To enable a
planned implementation period for a new case management system, a
direct award to the current suppliers will be completed via a
procurement compliant process for a two-year period. This will
enable service continuity, whilst also providing appropriate time
for training, data migration and implementation of a new system.
The timeline for this is shown within 6.1.

c)      
A ‘bespoke system’ option was also
rejected due to the high costs, lengthy development timelines, and
the need for an increased ongoing maintenance.