Cabinet Member Report
Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Transformation
Date: 20 January 2012
Classification: For General Release
Title: Commissioning process 2012/13
Wards Affected: All
Key Decision: The report does not involve a key decision
Financial Summary: There are no direct financial implications in this report. The total
funds available for Arts commissioning in 2012/13 are £327,560. (Subject to final
decisions on the Council’s overall budget for 2012/13)
Report of: Triborough Director of Libraries and Archives
1.
Executive Summary
This report sets out proposals for the process, timetable and priorities for Arts
and Cultural Services Commissioning for 2012/13.
2.
Recommendations
2.1
That the proposals for Arts and Cultural Services Commissioning in Westminster
in 2012/13 as set out in this report are agreed.
Proposals for 2012/13
2.2
The commissioning brief for Arts and culture has been developed with
stakeholders and commissioners for youth services, Adults social care, older
people, learning disability, physical disability and sports.
2.3
A set of 8 priorities have been developed for the brief, which will form the
basis of the 8 specifications advertised. These priorities are focused on
ensuring that Arts commissioning supports key priorities across the
council. They are set out below:
Arts for Skills and Employability
Outcome 1: Increased work experience and/or volunteering and/or employment
opportunities and raised employability skills level for residents, targeting currently
unemployed.
Arts for Early Intervention
Outcome 2: Children and Young People, from aged 8, who are more likely to be
involved in gangs, more likely to have poor sexual health, are missing education,
are less likely to have a job or be in education on leaving school or are unlikely to
achieve GCSEs, and their families living in Church Street, Harrow Road, Queens
Park, Westbourne and Churchill wards are provided with an inspiring, safe and
accessible environment to engage with arts and culture, and decrease the
likelihood of children and young people entering into care at a later stage.
Arts for Crime Diversion
Outcome 3: Contributes to the reduction of youth anti-social behaviour through
the provision of preventative activities and contributes to the reduction in levels of
serious youth violence and gang activity by providing diversionary activities to
support young people up to the age of 24 to safely exit gangs.
Arts for Health
Outcome 4: Increased awareness and opportunities of health and well being
through access to healthier, active arts and cultural activities.
Arts and Adults Social Care
Outcome 5: Adults with mild social care needs are helped to regain
independence away from council funded services through increased engagement
with social networks, reduced isolation, and in the case of younger adults who
have sufficient ability, supported into work environments.
Arts for people with a Learning or Physical disability
Outcome 6: Enable and enhance the chance of people with moderate to severe
learning difficulties, down’s syndrome or autistic spectrum disorders, or a
physical disability to integrate and play an active part in their community.
Arts and Homelessness
Outcome 7: Improved well-being of homeless and ex-homeless people through
being provided with essential life skills to tackle the social exclusion they face
and by providing a non-stigmatising setting for engagement.
Arts for Older people
Outcome 8: Increased access, enhanced independence, improved physical and
mental health and wellbeing, re-enablement and delayed onset of long term
conditions for older people over 65 at risk of deterioration of independence,
health and well-being through provision of activities in the newly commissioned
Westminster Older People’s hubs, older people’s homes and other community
venues.
2.4
All 8 contracts to be awarded will be below £50,000 and for a period of 12
months.
2.5
In compliance with the Procurement Code, officers propose to request for
quotes from at least 3 suppliers for service delivery, which meet published
criteria and are consistent with the City Council’s priorities and any additional
departmental service-specific priorities.
2.6
Each award will be allocated subject to a contractual agreement specifying
agreed outcomes to be delivered through costed programmes, which should
include proportionate overhead costs for the contractor.
2.7
Officers propose using a single Request for Quote response form within which
suppliers can indicate the priorities they will address.
2.8
Officers propose providing telephone or email advice during the tendering
period on request.
2.9
The proposed timetable for 2012/13 is set out below.
End of Jan / Early Feb
Early Mar
Mid Mar
Mon 19th Mar
Sun 1st Apr
2.10
Opportunity (Request for quote) posted on
Competefor
Response Deadline
Awards signed off by Cabinet Member and Arts
Commissioner
Estimated Award Date
Contract start date
Responsibility for making final decisions on the award of commissioning
contracts remains with the Cabinet Member for Customer Services and
Transformation (who maintains the arts commissioning lead for the Council).
3.
Reasons for Decision
3.1
This report sets out the proposed approach and priorities for Arts and cultural
services commissioning for 2012/13. A decision is required now to initiate the
commissioning process in a timely manner for awards to be made prior to the
start of the commissioning year in April 2012.
4.
Background, including Policy Context
4.1
Following the Voluntary Sector Review in 2010, a new commissioning process
for Arts and Cultural Services was implemented in 2011/12.
4.2
This pilot process was reviewed by the Cabinet Member for Community Services
in March 2011 and provided the basis for future rounds of commissioning.
4.3
As in the previous year, the Council wishes to commission Arts and Cultural
Services in 2012/13 to improve the quality of life for our residents, create
stronger and more cohesive communities and to support key priorities across the
council. Arts and Cultural services can use more innovative and cost-effective
ways to achieve the Council’s key priority outcomes than traditional service
interventions.

Enable better life chances for disadvantaged children and young people and
contributes to reduction of anti-social behaviour through provision of diversionary
activities and start of engagement at a younger age/key transition points.
Engaging in the arts helps children and young people, including children with
disabilities, to learn a new skill, respond to changes in society and increase their
dignity and self-esteem.

Promote good health and emotional well being for vulnerable adults, older
people and their carers. Being active in preventative arts and cultural activities
could delay the need for intensive social care, celebrates aspects of their life
which may have unheralded otherwise, helps generate new ideas and ways of
expressing these, and makes them feel part of the community.

Create a self reliant and cohesive society. Participating in the creative process
restores residents’ sense of individuality and transcends language and socioeconomic barriers to social engagement
4.4
It should be noted that the City Council’s Adults and Children’s departments
commission a range of providers that provide for other service interventions to
these priority user groups and officers from all three departments will continue to
work closely to ensure joined up commissioning and to address gaps in service
provision across the city.
4.5
In 2011/12 the funds available were £327,560 of which £115,940 was
committed to first quarter funding allocations. Net Council funds available for
commissioning for 9 months from July 2011 to March 2012 were therefore
£211,620. In 2011/12, 14 specifications were advertised and 15 organizations*
were contracted to deliver the arts and cultural schemes totalling £211,560.
A summary of commissioned services for 2011/12 is attached in Appendix 1.
*Among them, two organizations were contracted to deliver against different service
outputs within one specification as no submitted quote satisfied the full specification
5.
Financial Implications
5.1
The estimated total funds available for allocation in 2012/13 are £327,560.
5.2
The budget assumes no inflationary provision in 2012/13.
6.
Legal Implications
6.1
There are no legal implications arising from this report.
7.
Consultation
7.1
The commissioning brief for Arts and culture has been developed with
stakeholders and commissioners for youth services, Adults social care, older
people, learning disability, physical disability and sports. The commissioning
process has incorporated feedback from the voluntary and cultural sector via the
Voluntary Sector Review and the Culture Network.
If you have any queries about this Report or wish to inspect any of the
Background Papers please contact:
Valentina Wong, Arts and Cultural Services Officer on 020 7641 2409 or at
vwong@westminster.gov.uk
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Libraries, Culture and the Registration and Nationality Service Business Plan 2011/12
Strategy for Arts and Culture 2008-2013
Independent living: Westminster’s commitment to Adult Social Care and Health
September 2011
Your Choice Gang Diversion Programme October 2011
Commissioning Youth Services in Westminster: Shaping service design consultation
June 2011
For completion by the Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Transformation
Declaration of Interest
I have <no interest to declare / to declare an interest> in respect of this report
Signed:
Date:
NAME:
State nature of interest if any …………………………………………………………..……
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
(N.B: If you have an interest you should seek advice as to whether it is appropriate to make a decision in
relation to this matter)
For the reasons set out above, I agree the recommendation(s) in the report entitled
‘Commissioning process 2012/13’ and reject any alternative options which are referred
to but not recommended.
Signed ………………………………………………
Cabinet Member for Customer Services and Transformation
Date …………………………………………………
If you have any additional comment which you would want actioned in connection with
your decision you should discuss this with the report author and then set out your
comment below before the report and this pro-forma is returned to the Secretariat for
processing.
Additional comment: …………………………………….……………………………………
If you do not wish to approve the recommendations, or wish to make an alternative
decision, it is important that you consult the report author, the Head of Legal and
Democratic Services, Chief Operating Officer and, if there are resources implications,
the Human Director of Resources (or their representatives) so that (1) you can be made
aware of any further relevant considerations that you should take into account before
making the decision and (2) your reasons for the decision can be properly identified and
recorded, as required by law.
Note to Cabinet Member: Your decision will now be published and copied to the
Members of the relevant Policy & Scrutiny Committee. If the decision falls within the
criteria for call-in, it will not be implemented until five working days have elapsed from
publication to allow the Policy and Scrutiny Committee to decide whether it wishes to
call the matter in.
Appendix A
Other Implications
1.
Resources Implications
2.
Business Plan Implications
3.
Risk Management Implications
4.
Health and Wellbeing Impact Assessment including Health and Safety
Implications
5.
Crime and Disorder Implications
6.
Impact on the Environment
7.
Equalities Implications
8.
Staffing Implications
9.
Human Rights Implications
10. Energy Measure Implications
11. Communications Implications
Note to report authors: If there are particularly significant implications in any of the
above categories these should be moved to the main body of the report.