Purpose

This report seeks approval for a contract
variation to the Information and Advice Contract to maintain
increased capacity to support local communities impacted by the
rising cost of living.
 
The Ask Us Wirral Information and Advice
Service plays a pivotal role in supporting residents in Wirral with
a wide range of issues including benefits advice, debts,
employment, housing, relationships and families, legal, consumer,
immigration and asylum, utilities, phones, travel, transport,
holidays, tax, education and discrimination. Demand on this service
has increased due to the increases in living costs being
experienced by residents across the Borough.
 
To meet increased demand Ask Us Wirral have
received additional funding of £155,000 in 2022/23, through
one-off grant funding which concludes at the end of the 2022/23
financial year.
 
Due to ongoing high demand for support from
the service it is proposed to utilise the Public Health grant to
provide additional funding to the Information and Advice Service to
cover the period 1st April 2023 - 31st March 2024. The service will
be recommissioned from April 2024 and the recommissioning process
will consider the required contract value from this point onwards
to deliver service requirements.
 
This proposal affects all Wards within the
borough and the decision is a not a key decision.
 
The report supports the implementation of the
Wirral Plan 2021 - 26 and its core purpose to improve equity for
people and place through the provision of a pan-Wirral,
commissioned service that directly supports people in need.

Decision

Resolved – that, The Director of Public Health has decided
to vary the Information and Advice Contract, Ask Us Wirral, for the
period 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 to increase capacity of
the service so that more residents in need can be
supported.
 
 

Reasons for the decision

The Ask Us Wirral Information and Advice
Service plays a pivotal role in supporting residents in Wirral with
a wide range of issues including benefits advice, debts,
employment, housing, relationships and families, legal, consumer,
immigration and asylum, utilities, phones, travel, transport,
holidays, tax, education and discrimination. Demand on this service
has increased due to the increases in living costs being
experienced by residents across the Borough. Maintaining additional
investment in this service for the 2023/24 financial year is
required to ensure we are mitigating the impacts of the rising cost
of living on local residents. The service will be recommissioned
from April 2024 and the recommissioning process will consider the
required contract value from this point onwards to deliver service
requirements.
 

Alternative options considered

Increasing capacity within the Ask Us Wirral
Information and Advice Service reflects the ongoing needs reported
by local communities and is also evidenced by data therefore other
options such as not providing any additional investment, although
considered, are not recommended