Content

Salford City Council – Record of
Decision
 
I Councillor Youd, Lead Member
for Finance and Support Services and chairman of the Procurement
Board, accept the recommendation of the Procurement Board and in
exercise of the powers contained within the Council Constitution do
hereby approve:
 

·    
to go out to competition to appoint a specialist and
culturally appropriate provider to deliver an Information, Advice
and Guidance service to support Jewish residents living in Salford,
Bury and Manchester to access sustainable and quality
employment.
 
The Reasons are:
Historically, Jewish communities in Salford, Bury and Manchester
are not confident in accessing opportunities independently and are
often worried about their individual and cultural needs being
misunderstood. As such residents rely on trusted community-based
organisations to provide initial advice and advocacy to help them
navigate the mainstream system as well as sense checking
opportunities outside of the community to ensure they suitable,
including training and employment opportunities.
 
To
help overcome these cultural barriers, a targeted and specialist
service is required to help residents respond to challenges and
opportunities, including dedicated support to ensure residents are
better off during the cost-of-living crisis, as well as advocacy to
ensure employers and training providers understand and can
accommodate individual needs. Additionally, support to ensure
residents are able to capitalise on current and future regeneration
and growth in the sub region, including employment opportunities
which commonly rest outside of Jewish communities.
 
As
part of the current Skills and Work commissioning programme, the
Council, on behalf of Bury and Manchester Councils,  went out to competition and appointed the
incumbent provider, The Jewel Foundation to provide a cross
boundary Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) service to support
Jewish residents living in Salford, Bury and Manchester to access
sustainable and quality employment. The current service commenced
in July 2023 and is due to end in June 2026.
 
All
three LAs are committed in principle to continue to co-invest in a
new joint cross boundary IAG service to commence from 1 July 2026.
Salford have offered to lead the procurement exercise on behalf of
Bury and Manchester, and subject to the necessary approvals we aim
to conduct a competitive tendering process in January
2026.
 
The
proposed contract will be for two years, running from
1st July 2026 to 30th June 2028, at a total
cost of £135,000. An optional one-year extension may
be offered, subject to funding and satisfactory performance, from
1st July 2028. The total Salford City Council
contribution will be £60,000, plus an optional, £30,000
to contribute to the one-year extension.
 
The
service will support a minimum of 450 employed and unemployed
residents annually across all three LA areas per
year. There is no specific allocation per LA,
but the service delivery will be closely monitored and reviewed to
ensure engagement and support reflects the level of need and
investment for each LA.
We would expect to see service delivery volumes across the 3 LAs to
be proportionate to the level of investment i.e. Salford are
investing 44% of the total amount of funding (£30k of
£67.5k total pa) so we would expect the same level of service
delivery in the city.
 
We
are in the process of reviewing current service priorities, and
provisional arrangements are in place to refresh the exiting
service specification to continue with a co-commissioned cross
boundary approach to providing residents with IAG
support.
 
The report
seeks approval to go out to competitive tender to appoint a
specialist and culturally appropriate provider to deliver an
Information, Advice and Guidance service to support Jewish
residents living in Salford, Bury and Manchester to access
sustainable and quality employment.
 
It
is proposed to go out to the market in January 2026 with a deadline
for submissions of February 2026. Following assessment and
moderation, approval to appoint a provider for the new service will
be sought in March 2026, with a scheduled ‘go live’
service date of 1st July 2026.
 
Options considered and rejected
were:
Delivering the service in-house was considered and rejected.
This is specialist service requiring specific experience and
expertise. As mentioned, the community are not confident in
accessing opportunities independently and are often worried about
their individual and culture needs being misunderstood. As such
residents rely on trusted community-based organisations for
support.
 
Delivering the service in-house across three LAs would not be
the most cost effective or efficient method of delivery for
Salford, Bury or Manchester. The preferred option therefore is to
go out to open competition to identify suitability qualified
providers to deliver a quality service and outcomes for
residents.
 
Assessment of Risk: Risks
associated with the Skills and Work commissioned
programme:
·    
Services will be tendered with indicative budgets,
subject to formal approval of the Council budget in the New
Year.
·    
Delays in the commissioning and award of a new
contract could potentially create a gap in service
provision.
 
The source of funding is: Core
Skills and Work Budget A0631 (£20,000), and contribution from
F0004 (£10,000).
 
Legal Advice obtained: Yes
– supplied by Tony Hatton, Principal Solicitor.
 
Financial Advice obtained: Yes
– supplied by Luba Velychko, Accountant, Place.
 
Procurement Advice obtained:
Yes – supplied by Emma Heyes, Category Manager.
 
HR Advice obtained:
N/A.
 
Climate Change Implications
obtained: Yes – supplied by Mike Hemmingway, Environment
Policy Team.
 
The following documents have
been used to assist the decision process:
·    
Approval to award a contract to provide an
Information, Advice & Guidance Service to support Jewish
residents’ living in Salford, Bury and Manchester
– Report to the Executive Director
for Children’s Services on 13th April
2023.
·    
Approval to award a contract to provide an
Information, Advice & Guidance Service to support Jewish
residents’ living in Salford, Bury and Manchester –
Report to the Lead Member for Children and Young People’s
Services and the Executive Support Member for Skills, Work and
Business on 20th April 2023.
·    
Approval to award a contract to provide an
Information, Advice & Guidance Service to support Jewish
residents’ living in Salford, Bury and Manchester –
Report of the Executive Director of Children’s services and
the Executive Director of Place to Procurement Board on
10th May 2023.
·    
Executive Director of Place – Delegated
Decision Notice (DDN) to approve the
extension of Contract for the IAG Service to support Jewish
residents living in Salford, Bury and Manchester on 7th
May 2025.
·    
The Jewel Foundation Social Value Report - Year 1
(July 2023 – June 2024)
·    
The Jewel Foundation Social Value Report - Year 1
(July 2024 – June 2025)
·    
Approval to go out to competition to appoint a
provider to deliver an Information, Advice & Guidance Service
to support Jewish residents’ living in Salford, Bury and
Manchester – Report of the Director of Skills, Work and
Inclusive Economy to the Executive Director for Place on
27th November 2025.
·    
Approval to go out to competition to appoint a
provider to deliver an Information, Advice & Guidance Service
to support Jewish residents’ living in Salford, Bury and
Manchester – Report of the Executive Director for Place to
the Lead Member for Skills & Work and Business Support Services
on 17th December 2025.
 
Contact Officers:
·    
Dave Timperley, Skills and Work Commissioning
Manager: 0161 793 2533.
·    
Alison Burnett, Head of Skills and Work: 0161 793
2535.
 
·    
Lead Member for Skills & Work and Business
Support Services has been consulted and is supportive of the
proposed contract.
·    
The appropriate Scrutiny Committee to call-in the
decision is Growth and Prosperity.
 

Signed:   Cllr J
Youd          Dated:
  12 January
2026.
         
  Lead Member
 

FOR DEMOCRATIC SERVICES USE
ONLY:
 
*         This
decision was published on 13 January 2026.
*         This
decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 20 January 2026 unless
it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process
Rules.