Decision details

(i)  That the Board note the recommendation from the Joint task Force to carry out a procurement of a Direct Payment Support Service.

(ii)  The Leader of the Council delegates authority to the Director of Quality & Integration, following consultation with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care to decide on the final model of a commissioned Direct Payment Support service.

(iii)  The Leader of the Council delegates authority to the Director of Quality & Integration following consultation with the Service Director Legal & Governance to carry out a procurement process for the provision of a Direct Payment Support service and to enter into contracts in accordance with the Contract Procedure Rules.

1.  The current Direct Payment Support service contract ends in March 2020.

2.  The proposed service responds to the recommendations of the JTF and will contribute to a wider range of key services designed to support the offer of direct payments in Southampton.

1.  An exemption to the current contract has been considered but would not meet the needs of the customer or services. Nor would it support the wider range of key services that are being developed to support the offer of direct payments in Southampton.

2.  Do nothing was considered, which would result in the current service being decommissioned. This was rejected as it is contrary to the personalisation approaches being pursued by SCC.