Decision details

To award a new block contract with Hillcrest Care for 20 Independent Fostering Placements, for three years starting from 1 April 2014

Part 2 annex

That a new contract be awarded to Hillcrest for three years from 1 April 2014 until 31 March 2017.

Reasons for Decisions:

Surrey County Council commissions its other IFA requirements through a Regional Framework Contract with 11 South East Local Authorities. This requirement was tendered in 2011/12. The Framework Contract started on 1 April 2012 and is due to end on 31 March 2017.

Under the Block Contract with Hillcrest, SCC pays one of the lowest rates for IFA placements in the South East of England. The Council is seeking to continue this best value arrangement until the Regional IFA Framework contract comes to an end. An award of a 3-year contract to Hillcrest will mean that both contractual arrangements for IFA placements will be aligned. This will allow a full option analysis to be carried out with Children’s Services and Children’s Commissioning and development of the placement strategy for the entire area of Looked After Children services.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee]