Issue - decisions

Date of Decision:

13^th March 2024

Title:

Nexus Extended Activities and School Holiday Provision (Short Breaks) for Children and Young People with SEND

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Helen Sweaton – Joint Assistant Director Commissioning Performance and Quality

Details of Specific Cabinet Delegation

or Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.

Assistant Directors responsibility:

In respect of procurement, contract administration and best value:

·     In accordance with Financial and Procurement Procedure Rules, matters relating to the specification for works, goods and services, the seeking of estimates, quotations and tenders, the evaluation of the same and acceptance of tenders relating to contracts for works, goods and services in accordance with approved budgets or supplementary estimates.

·     Where a contract for support and maintenance is renewed within five years of the original contract, authority to award such a contract.

The initial contract term for 3 years is a cumulative value of £440,430 which falls into the value bracket of the responsibility of Assistant Director.

Decision:

To recommission via direct award and following the exemption procedure the contract for Extended Services (short breaks) for Children and Young People with SEND with Nexus Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).

Reasons for the Decision:

Background

Nexus MAT are a multi academy trust which encompasses three of the schools for children with special needs in Rotherham including 2 schools for children and young people with PMLD.

Delivery involves 5 After School Clubs per week:

2 x at Hilltop School

1 x at Newman School – Whiston site

1 x at Newman School – Dinnington site

1 x at Kelford School

Nexus also deliver a range of holiday clubs and activities through this contract.

An exemption for three years’ service delivery is due to end 31/03/2024.  As the justification for Direct Award still stands, a further exemption to allow a direct award is being requested for five years (with appropriate break clauses built in).

Justification for direct award

• Nexus have built into their employment contracts the requirement to support the staffing of after school clubs, so there is a ready-made bank of experienced staff with the specialist skills required to support the young people (many of whom they already know).
• The schools have access to specialist equipment, accessible buildings and environments that can meet children and young people’s needs. 
• As a Trust they have opened up the offer to young people who are not Nexus pupils to access short break activities.
• Because Nexus deliver after school clubs from their premises, where the majority of the service users are already situated due to their school placement, this avoids a huge disruption to the child’s day in relation to negating the need to transport them to another provider.  This is particularly important for children and young people with ASD and SEMH related needs.

For the reasons stated above, it is understood that there is no other valid competition for this type of service in the borough.  Certainly, Nexus would not approve an alternative service to be delivered from its premises.

Other considerations

Parents and carers pay a small amount towards the costs of the clubs (£5.00) this was agreed after consultation prior to previous commissioning arrangements being put in place. The costs are commensurate with activities undertaken by families for their non-disabled child.

Nexus have built on their offer and have created more ‘bespoke’ packages such as bowling nights for groups of teenagers with complex needs who might otherwise not get this opportunity and giving them time and space away from their families to experience this type of activity.

Performance

The Nexus short breaks offer is monitored through quarterly performance meetings and the Trust consistently demonstrate that it delivers value for money in the number of short breaks offered as well as the range of activities.  Feedback is consistently good with young people telling us that they enjoy the activities. 

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

There are no known other viable options for delivery of these afterschool and holiday clubs. 

Workforce:

The Nexus MAT consists one of the biggest pool of workers in the borough that can meet the needs of children and young people with additional needs.  In addition to this they are familiar with the children that access the clubs and their respective needs as they also work in the special schools that the children attend.

Location:

Many of the children and young people that access these services attend Nexus academy schools so they are already at the location of the after school clubs.  Nexus would not agree to another provider delivering on their premises. The buildings are accessible environments with appropriate specialist equipment on site and can meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

Cost:

Due to much of the pre-requisite conditions already being in place (staff, buildings, equipment etc) the service they provide consists of good value for money.  The cost to the Council is £146,810 per annum which provides 190 after school clubs per year plus 30 holiday clubs per year. 

This includes:

-       Premises costs

-       Materials and resources

-       Staff costs

-       Management costs

-       Transport for children that require this

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of interest declared

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

N/A

Reports or parts of reports considered

Exemption Request Form ERF000423-23