Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care seeking approval to re-commission advocacy services for adults, inclusive of all elements of dedicated advocacy currently provided across the City.

Having complied with paragraph 15 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules:

(i)  To approve the re-commissioning, through a tender process, of advocacy services for all adults, inclusive of all elements of specialist and dedicated advocacy currently provided across the City.

(ii)  Following a procurement process to delegate authority to the Director of People to select a provider(s) and after consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to enter into a contract with a service provider(s), for a maximum period of 5 years, for the provision of advocacy services and take all ancillary action to give effect to this decision

1. This report is presented as a general exception item in accordance with Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of Part 4 of the Council's Constitution. Amendments to the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to information) (England) Regulations 2012 require 28 days notice to be given prior to determining all Key Decisions. This new requirement was published by Government mid August and came into effect on 10th September 2012. Whilst the report did have the required 28 days notice, the new requirement to indicate potential elements of confidentiality was not complied with as notification of the decision was published on the 4th June 2014.
2. Approving the recommendation to procure an advocacy service which amalgamates current fragmented funding streams will allow the services to be redesigned in order to meet current demand, local need and achieve parity of service access. 
3. The recommended option will release a 10% efficiency saving whilst ensuring statutory provision and eligible needs are still met.
4. Approving the recommendation will allow the start of consultation around the future service option for advocacy services within Southampton.

1. To use the available extension option provided within the contract to extend the current mental health advocacy service for a period of 2 years, whilst implementing the recommendations identified within service reviews. This option maintains the systems inbuilt inefficiencies with multiple contracts to manage, duplicated provider overheads and multiple points of access. Any budget efficiencies that could be realised within this option would result from top slicing the current budget and maintaining the current service model. This does not allow for a more efficient service to be developed and would not obtain best value from available resources.
2. To re-commission the current mental health advocacy service in its current format without including wider advocacy services. This option maintains the systems inbuilt inefficiencies with multiple contracts to manage, duplicated provider overheads and multiple points of access. The opportunity to achieve the potential budget efficiencies is not present within this option. There is also the potential that through re-commissioning one service without realising system wide efficiencies the unit cost for services may increase, reducing value. 
3. To re-commission a service which including only the statutory elements of provision.This option offers the largest headline efficiency but is highly likely to incur significant costs in other areas of the health and social care system due to frontline staff carrying out additional duties and dealing with complaints. This option does not fit with local and national priorities and guidance within key documents such as the Winterbourne Concordat and could have the potential to cause reputational damage to the City Council.

None.