Content

CHILDREN’S SERVICES DIRECTORATE

 DELEGATED DECISION
NOTICE
 
I,
Councillor Jim Cammell,Lead
Member, Children’s Services, in exercise of the powers
conferred on me by the Council’s Constitution, do hereby
approve an exception to Contractual Standing Orders, to award a
contract with a total value of less than £350,000 for Family
Hubs Infant Feeding Peer Support, as detailed in the table
below:
 
  This
information will be used to populate the Corporate Contracts
Register
 

Detail required

Answers

Title/Description of Contracted
Service/Supply/Project

Family Hubs Infant Feeding Peer Support

Name of Successful
Contractor

Home Start Trafford and Salford

Supplier Registration Number

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

1162070

Type of organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

Registered Charity

Status of Organisation

(to be supplied by Corporate
Procurement)

SME

Contract Value (£)

£175,994 

Contract Duration

24 months

Contract Start Date

05/02/2024

Contract End Date

31/03/2025

Optional Extension Period 1

0 months

Optional Extension Period 2

0 months

Who will approve each Extension
Period?

Choose an item.

Contact Officer (Name &
number)

Rebecca Bibby/Anne Godding

Lead Service Group

People Services

Reason for CSO Exception: The goods / services /
works are only obtainable from one provider and there is no other
provider available to allow genuine competition

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or
the supply of goods or services is controlled by a statutory
body

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Delivers Best Value to the
Council

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Special education, health
or social care contracts, if it is considered in the
Council’s best interests and to meet the Council’s
obligations under relevant legislation

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: The execution of works or
the supply of goods and services is required so urgently as not to
permit compliance with the requirements of competition

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Security works where the
publication of documents or details in the tendering process could
prejudice the security of SCC and Salford residents

Tick if it applies

Reason for CSO Exception: Procurements made through,
or on behalf of, any consortium, local authority, statutory or
similar body, provided that tenders or quotations are invited and
contracts placed in accordance with national or EU
legislation.

Tick if it applies

Funding Source

Grant

Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment
Charter

 

EC: Committed to sign up to the Charter

EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer

 

Details:
This contract is for the
provision of one Project Manager, two Peer Supporters and
administration support to support the family hubs offer by
providing breast feeding advice and support for new and expectant
Mothers. The staff will undertake breast feeding network training,
provide breast feeding peer support, offer a breast pump loan
service and facilitate infant feeding support groups in the Family
Hubs.
 
Due to change in ministers at
the DfE there has been significant delays in the funding which must
be fully spent by 31 March 2025, being allocated and received by
the Council.  This has prevented the
Council from commissioning of this service before this point and
has resulted in the Council having limited time to utilise the
funding. We do not want to lose this funding in Salford and are
committed with partners to spend the fund to better improve the
lives of families in Salford, and it had been assessed that it
would not be reasonably practical for the Council to undertake a
procurement process and for a supplier to fully mobilise the
service within the required timescales.
 
The Council has identified Home
Start Trafford and Salford as the preferred provider, as they are
already an integral part of the family hub model and would be able
to deliver the service within the required timeframe of the
funding. Furthermore, they are also delivering a similar Infant
feeding peer support model in another Local Authority and we have
been able to learn from good practise shared by them, which will
enable Salford to hit the ground running once staff have been
recruited and are in post. Home Start
Trafford and Salford will also bring added value to the contract
through a commitment to train 6 volunteer peer supporters per year
for the duration of the contract.
 
Their will be a monitoring
process in place to ensure funding is producing the agreed outcomes
in line with the
Family hubs and start for life
program.

Assessment of Risk 
Risk relates to the
implications if the scheme does not happen or any risk if there is
a potential delay in making the award.
 
Due to change in ministers at
the DfE there has already been significant delays in the funding
being allocated and received. This is now in place, we do not want
to lose this funding in Salford and are committed with partners to
spend the fund to better improve the lives of families in
Salford.
 
Any potential delay in making
the award; The risk is that any potential delay in making the award
could result in Salford not being able to deliver the program as
per agreed plan.

Legal
Implications (only if
appropriate)
Contact officer and
telephone number:
Date
provided:

Financial Implications
Contact officer and
telephone number: Beth Mitchell
Date
provided:
The source of funding
is Family Hubs and Start for Life Grant
Expenditure Code:
E0355

Procurement Implications
Contact officer and telephone number: Carolyne Knott, Category
Manager, ext. 6242
Date
Provided. 02/01/23
Contractual Standing
Orders requires that a contract of this value would be subject
should be procured through the use of an open tender managed
through The Chest.
 
There is always a risk
of challenge to any contract directly awarded outside of any
competitive process from an aggrieved provider on the basis that
they weren’t given an opportunity to bid for the contract
with risk increasing with the value of a contract.
 
Lead Member’s
may approve an exception to CSO’s, subject to their being
satisfied the reason for direct award is justifiable. This contract
would fall within the remit of the Light Touch Regime for Social
and Other specific service which requires that the Council act in a
transparent and equitable manner. The reasons set outlined in the
report above are deemed to provided reasonable justification of the
direct award of a contract, however the risk of challenge should be
acknowledged.
 

Contact Officer
Anne
Godding                                         
Tel No.

 

Name

Signature

Date

 

 

 

 
Authorisation:
Cllr
Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children’s Services
 

 
 
18
January 2024
 

 
Consulted:
Melissa Caslake, Executive Director, Children's
Services
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
18
January 2024