Decision details

The background information is NOT FOR PUBLICATION in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 in that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs (past or present) of a particular person (including the Council) namely the score each bidder received. The public interest test has been applied to the information contained within the exempt annex and it is considered that the need to retain the information as exempt outweighs the public interest in disclosing it as to do so could impact on its ability to achieve value for money from future procurement exercises. It could also have a negative impact on the unsuccessful bidder’s market position and reputation.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care is recommended to approved the award of a 3 year contract to run a Dementia Resource Centre to the Alzheimer’s Society at a total cost of £1,005,000 with the option to extend for a further 2 years.

Peterborough City Council is commissioning a Dementia Resource Centre in response to, and preparation for, an estimated increase in prevalence of 25% over the next 10 years. The vision, developed in consultation with stakeholders, focuses on increasing the level of support available to people with dementia and their carers and simplifying access to support by bringing the NHS Memory Clinic and the resource centre provider under one roof to create a hub for a range of community based support.

The tender was advertised via OJEU, with providers across Europe given the opportunity to bid. A market engagement event was held in April 2013. Fourteen organisations attended and a presentation outlining the vision for the centre and information on the procurement process was delivered. Attendees were given the opportunity to feedback on the vision and ask questions and also time to network with others who may be interested in partnering up. The feedback received was positive and commissioners were satisfied with the level of interest.

The decision to award the contract follows a Part B OJEU Competitive Dialogue Tender process. The competitive dialogue approach was chosen as it allowed the City Council to shape the service specification iteratively using insight gained from bidders’ initial proposals.

Bidders were asked to bid against a fixed price of £293,000 (£335,000 minus £42,000 property costs) and £234,000 (a 20% reduction in contract value in order to validate best value). The fixed price approach enabled the Council to maximise how much support could be bought for the allocated budget in response to the increasing demand in this area.  Investing in community based support for people with dementia and their carers is recognised as an effective “invest to save model”, avoiding crises, delaying the need to access more expensive support like residential care and reducing the number of dementia related hospital admissions[1], whilst also significantly improving the wellbeing of people with dementia and their carers[2].

The evaluation panel consisted of:

Assistant Director, Care Service delivery;

Head of Commissioning for Mental Health and Integrated Learning Disability;

Head of Commissioning Older People, Physical Disability, Sensory Impairment;

GP lead for Mental Health;

Interim Commissioning Manager;

Interim Principal Accountant for Adult Social Care (scoring price section only). 

The panel scored each bid individually and then came together to moderate scores for each question.

The Alzheimer’s Society scored highest on both quality and price. The panel were in agreement that they demonstrated the greatest knowledge and expertise in the area of dementia and were very strong at evidencing how they would achieve outcomes for service users. Their bid was strong on both the level and quality of the support provided and added value they bought to the contract. The panel was satisfied that the £293k offered best value as it extended the hours of operation to include evenings and weekends.

Not to procure a dementia resource centre – this was rejected because Peterborough City Council has a statutory duty to provide support to people with dementia and their carers under the National Assistance Act 1948 and in particular section 29 which outlines local authority’s duty to provide social work advice and support services and facilities for rehabilitation and adjustment to disability and occupational, social, cultural and recreational activities.

None

Draft PCC Strategy for people with dementia and their carers 2014-19

DRC Vision and Service Specification

Equality Impact Assessment