Consultation Feedback Document 004870 – Family Support Services January 2016 Newcastle City Council has carried out a period of consultation with Providers to inform the Council’s long-term solution for two components within the current Early Help and Supporting Families Offer. The two components are: – Community Family Hub, and – an element of the city-wide Family Support Offer. The Council are proposing that new arrangements will be in place from 1 September 2016. The Council held a number of engagement events with Providers over a period of ten months from May 2015: 20 May 2015 – Provider Workshop, 2 June 2015 – Provider Workshop, 15 July 2015 – Tender Ready Session, 30 November 2015 – Social Value Workshop, 11 January 2016 – Provider Workshop and 1 February 2016 – Provider Networking Event A copy of the presentations from these events can be found on the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal www.nepoportal.org. Each event provided opportunity for group discussion, and feedback was captured from table top discussions and informed the Council’s Proposed Contract Opportunities document published on 17 December 2015 This document provides a summary of the feedback received throughout this consultation exercise. A list of the organisations who attended these events is attached as Appendix One to this report. For further information please contact: Becky Polito, Commissioning and Procurement Lead Specialist (becky.polito@newcastle.gov.uk) or Rhonda Eagle, Collaborative Procurement Manager (rhonda.eagle@newcastle.gov.uk). 1 Comment/question/point of clarification received at the Provider Networking Event held on Monday, 1 February, 2016 1. 2. Provider comment/question/point of clarification Providers would have preferred a facilitated session to introduce the Lots. Reply from the Council The session was designed to give Providers an opportunity to network amongst themselves to explore potential developments of collaborative arrangements. The Council made information available regarding Lots that had been shared previously with the market as part of the Provider Workshops. Has there been any consideration given to indemnify organisations inr elaton to TUPE? Is there assurance that there will be no implications from Local Authority TUPE? The Council has not yet gathered this information but will share this as part of the procurement exercise so financial commitments are clear. It will be the responsibility of the incumbent, employing organisation to assert the TUPE rights of their staff. There is not anticipated to be any TUPE requirements for staff employed by the Council as these services will continue to be delivered by the Council. 2 3. Where are the links with the Expanding Minds Agenda and the Domestic Violence commission? We are very aware of the extensive work going on in relation to “Expanding Minds, Improving Lives” (EMIL) and would expect to see strong links between the services eventually commissioned through that initiative and the Community Family Hub Teams. Many of the principles underpinning EMIL align with the principles of the Community Family Hub Teams; for example, whole family working, community engagement, an approach that includes preventative and early intervention services, ensuring the voices of children and young people are heard etc. We expect EMIL to fully embrace the need for strong Infant Mental Health which will be vitally important for the Sure Start component within the Community Family Hub Teams along with services that support children across the age range, including those needing Intensive Family Support. We know that domestic violence and abuse is an influencing factors in a large number of cases which result in child protection conferences. In commissioning the new integrated domestic violence and abuse accommodation and outreach services, support offered to parents, both in and out with the new purpose built supported accommodation facility, should keep the needs of children and young people at its core and wherever possible take a ‘whole family approach’. We expect clients to be offered person centred and/or a whole family approach to support plans based on their individual, and their family, needs and reflect their recovery journey towards achieving positive outcomes. This may include, but is not limited to, receiving or being offered: one to one support; peer support, befriending, mentoring and/or use of other group work approaches which may be with their child(ren); prevention and recovery programmes, including structured community based 3 recovery programmes; and so forth. Age appropriate support for children will also be offered. The service will provide support through the Common Assessment Framework process and support Service Users through a Team Around the Family approach. The successful provider will work in partnership with other professions and practitioners to meet continuing needs of the child/ family and where appropriate become a member of the team around the family/ act as the Lead Practitioner, or in cases where there is social care involvement, attend core groups for children subject to a Child Protection Plan. The Service will also play a key role in the provision of information and signposting to other community based support networks. 4 Comment/question/point of clarification received at the Provider Workshop held on Monday, 11 January, 2016 1. 2. Provider comment/question/point of clarification Providers felt that the Council had considered well and incorporated feedback received at the Social Value Workshop on 30 November 2015 into the Proposed Contract Opportunities document that was published on 17 December 2015. Reply from the Council We are pleased that Providers can see elements from the Social Value Workshop incorporated into the Proposed Contract Opportunities (PCO) document. We will continue to incorporate feedback and considerations raised at this event throughout the procurement and contract management stage of the 004870 – Family Support Services Framework Agreement. There needs to be contract requirements for geographical leads to work together to coordinate services and the offer to families across the City. Yes. Clause 3.2.1 in the PCO document describes the current leadership structure for the Community Family Hub. The Council anticipates that this leadership structure will not change under new arrangements from 1 September 2016. At present, each geographic area has a Community Family Hub Lead. It is proposed that this arrangement will continue (diagram two on page eight of the PCO document shows the CFH Integrated Leadership Team structure). Together the Service Manager and the Community Family Hub Leads form the strategic, integrated leadership team for the Community Family Hub. The Community Family Hub (CFH) Leads act as leader and manager of activity in their own areas. The Community Family Hub Lead is responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships to enable provision of the full Sure Start statutory offer. The Lotting proposals indicate that the team of lead officers will include both Council staff and staff employed by external partners. Effective working among this Community Family Hub integrated leadership team is essential. 5 3. With the intensive family support the boundaries need to be clear; for example if an organisation is awarded a contract to deliver services in the East of the City will they just work in the East of the City, and not be expected to work in other parts of the City. Each Lot will have a detailed Service Specification within the tender pack when it is published in March 2016. Intensive family Support is offered across the whole of the city based on assessed need. Whilst Intensive Family Support (IFS) is included in Lot 1 to deliver this service to families in the east of the city the organisation that is successful will be expected to work as part of an integrated system with Local Authority work in the central and west areas. If there is capacity in one area of the city and not in another there may be occasions where families in one part of the city will be worked with by a member of another team. 4. Restricting the number of Lots a single Provider can deliver is one way to enable Providers of varying sizes and specialisms to bid and balances this with the potential for the Council to achieve economies of scale. However, this approach could make it a challenge to the integrated delivery of the Council’s statutory duty under the CFH and non-statutory services. Following feedback and legal advice, the Council has determined to remove proposed restrictions from the Contract Opportunities. 5 How long is the Council proposing to put contracts in place for with successful Providers? The tender exercise will be seeking to appoint successful Providers to a four-year Framework Agreement (two years with two x 12-month options to extend) to commence 1 September 2016. 6 How has this scope been decided, who and how was it decided what is ‘in scope’ and what is ‘out of scope’? In 2014 Newcastle City Council carried out an extensive consultation process with parents, providers and other key stakeholders to consider and agree the way in which we should deliver Family Support Services. This review arrived at the Council’s current operating model. Contracts will be awarded to the Winning Bidder in each of the six Lots 6 Following the implementation of the new Public Contract Regulations in February 2015, the Council continued consultation with Providers and other key stakeholders as outlined above. The Council has previously made clear that it intends to continue to directly deliver some elements of the Community Family Hub, and that it seeks to maintain the current balance of provision between those services which are directly delivered by the Council and those that are externally commissioned. Through consultation stakeholders identified a number of benefits to this ‘mixed economy’ model of service delivery: Locally / community based Providers increase opportunities for service delivery to be based on the needs of local communities and delivered in local settings, A broader skills and experience base to inform service design and delivery, A reduction in barriers to local people who may have a fear or distrust of ‘Council services’, Providers external to the Council have the opportunity to leverage in additional resources, increasing value for money for reducing levels of public funding Based on stakeholders’ comments, the proposed Lotting seeks to minimise changes to the way the Council’s direct resources are deployed. This approach was agreed to maximise the potential benefits of an integrated service delivery model and minimise the changes to service delivery to vulnerable families. 7 Please clarify, whether the figures represented in clause 4.5 in the Proposed Contract Opportunities document and in the PowerPoint presentation shared with stakeholders on 11 January 2016 represent the full contract value or an annual figure? The figures represent an annual figure for each Lot. 7 8 Under the new Framework Agreement what consideration has the Council given to Providers being required to deliver services from existing premises? The Council recognise that this is a complex issue. As a result of Sure Start capital investment some Lots will have requirements related to the use of certain premises and these will be detailed in the individual Lots at the point of tender, these requirements will be in place to ensure the Council is not subject to a ‘clawback’ of Sure Start capital funding. The Council also recognise that there will need to be some consideration given to the use of other community premises (not in receipt of Sure Start capital investment) to ensure the smooth delivery of services and the sustainability of community provision. Detailed requirements will be detail in the individual Lots at the point of tender. 9 Can the Council please give further information about the premises that successful Providers will need to use in the delivery of services. There are some key premises that successful providers will need to use in the delivery of services and revenue costs for these buildings have been included, where necessary, in the value of the Lots. However the Service Specifications will provide more detailed information about those buildings that it will be a requirement for the successful provider to manage/deliver from. 10 Is there anywhere that partners can register an interest in delivering services as part of a partnership? For example, a Provider may be delivering in one geographic area but be interest in delivering in another area; or there may be Providers currently not delivering in the area that want to lead a collaborative arrangement and they are looking for local partners. Yes. On 1 February 2016 the Council has organised a Networking event for existing and potential new Providers to explore further the make-up of new collaborative working arrangements. Further details of this event will be published on the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal. Although the final responsibility for developing collaborative arrangements sits with Providers, the Council has carried out a number of activities to encourage open dialogue between Providers and to enable the development of partnership working. 8 The Council has already shared information with the market regarding current service Providers. 11 It would be useful to have a network event in each of the three geographical areas. On 1 February 2016 the Council has organised a Networking event for existing and potential new Providers to explore further the make-up of new collaborative working arrangements. Further details of this event will be published on the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal. 12 An early February session with potential providers/subcontractors would be very helpful On 1 February 2016 the Council has organised a Networking event for existing and potential new Providers to explore further the make-up of new collaborative working arrangements. Further details of this event will be published on the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal. 13 What is the Council’s timeline for discussion with Providers of services that are ‘out of scope’? Where external delivery is required in the activity areas identified as ‘out of scope’, this will be commissioned separately. There may be different arrangements depending on what is delivered. Some may be renewed or they may be procured but arrangements for services ‘out of scope’ will be broadly aligned to this commissioning exercise. The Council will be communication with affected organisations individually. 14 In the West of the City three organisations have been meeting to Following feedback and legal advice, the Council has determined explore the potential of delivery services as a consortia. Under to remove proposed restrictions from the Contract Opportunities. the Lotting restrictions will this consortia be able to bid for Lots 1, 2 and 3? Contracts will be awarded to the Winning Bidder in each of the six Lots. 15 Regarding the limitations to the tender; as described in section 4.6 of the Proposed Contract Opportunities document, can an organisation be the lead organisation in a successful bid and a Following feedback and legal advice, the Council has determined to remove proposed restrictions from the Contract Opportunities. 9 partner in a successful consortium bid/sub-contractor in another area and therefore be part of a group of Providers awarded more than one Lot in Lots in 1, 2 and 3 or more than one Lot in Lots in 4, 5 or 6? Contracts will be awarded to the Winning Bidder in each of the six Lots 16 How will TUPE (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) apply to this commissioning exercise? The Council has not yet gathered this information but will share this as part of the procurement exercise so financial commitments are clear. It will be the responsibility of the incumbent, employing organisation to assert the TUPE rights of their staff. There is not anticipated to be any TUPE requirements for staff employed by the Council as these services will continue to be delivered by the Council. 17 Will the organisations currently delivering in the West of the City need to complete for their current contracts? Yes, all services within the scope of the commissioning exercise will be put forward as part of the competitive tender process. This includes those services that are ‘in scope’ in the West of the City. 18 To enable bidding organisations to appropriately design their response to the tender, can the Council please provide more information about the staff employed by the Council and the services that they will deliver under the new arrangements; those services indicated in pink in the table on page 14 (diagram 3.) of the Proposed Contract Opportunities document. Please see details provided in Appendix Two 19 Regarding the limitations to the tenders, as described in section 4.6 of the Proposed Contract Opportunities document can a consortia/partnership of Providers be awarded more than one Lot in Lots in 1, 2 and 3 or more than one Lot in Lots in 4, 5 or 6 if a different organisation leads in different areas/Lots? Following feedback and legal advice, the Council has determined to remove proposed restrictions from the Contract Opportunities. How can Providers stay informed of this commissioning and procurement exercise? Providers need to be registered on the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal to be able to access the contract opportunities 20 Contracts will be awarded to the Winning Bidder in each of the six Lots 10 when they are published. Providers can register on the NEPO Portal by following instructions found on their website www.nepoportal.org. The website will provide directions to NEPO’s helpdesk if you are having difficulty registering. Following the close of the Council’s consultation period of 15 January 2016, all communication will need to be through the NEPO Portal. The Council will be holding a Pre-Tender event for potential Providers on 1 March 2016. This event will be advertised to Providers on the NEPO portal. 21 If the successful bidder doesn’t know a geographical area they might not be able to provide the most appropriate services. The Council would welcome bids from existing and potential Providers that we have not worked with before. The PCO document provided information of the needs of vulnerable families in each geographical area. A detailed Service Specification will be created for each Lot detailing for potential bidders requirements under each Lot. Tender submission will be evaluated on a bidder’s ability to meet these requirements. All successful Providers will need to work closely with the CFH Integrated Leadership Team and the Service Manager, Early Help and Family Support will have responsibility to ensure all successful Provider are delivering the most appropriate services to vulnerable families in the three geographical areas. 22 Currently in the West, the commissions are paid directly and any direction/issues are led by Council staff. Under the Lotting proposals, there would be a requirement for the ‘lead’ bidder to then manage the subcontractors therefore would this make it more expensive? No. The Lead organisation for Lot 3 will be paid directly by the Council they will be responsible for cascading any payments down to partner organisations who are delivering services under this Lot. The Community Family Hub Lead – City West will remain internal to the Council and will work closely with the lead organisation for services under Lot 3 and the CFH Integrated Leadership Team to ensure appropriate governance. 11 23 Parentings programmes – I know that they are part of this exercise, but how will they be divided up going forward, as currently have a virtual team with Barnardos and it is ‘in kind’ at the moment. Will this arrangement be formalised going forward with the new contracts? The Council currently has a contract (not in scope of this exercise) to deliver the co-ordination of Incredible Years and Strengthening Families. Other practitioners trained in there programmes work alongside this team to deliver the programmes. This ‘virtual’ team is drawn from staff in the Citywide/ CFH teams and there will be an expectation that this arrangement will continue and this will be reflected in the service specification. 24. A general question about NCC financial regulations arising out of a discussion with partners about Lot 3 The Council is not intending to put a minimum financial requirements on the Framework (004870 – Family Support Services). Tender submissions will still need to pass the Council’s Financial Risk Assessment; please see below standard wording included in the PQQ document, section 4 Economic and Financial Standing. FINANCIAL INFORMATION Notes to organisation: 1 The Council will evaluate this section on a pass or fail basis. The Council use a system called the 'Calderdale Test' which financially appraises a set of accounts. This is a method specifically designed for the use in the public sector by Calderdale Council some time ago. The process examines several different areas of the accounts provided, to produce an overall score; this score being calculated on a number of separately calculated ratios, thus avoiding over reliance on a certain aspect of the accounts. The ratios are combined to give an overall score and an advisory contract value limit based on the company’s turnover and ratio assessments. We are not applying financial threshold to meet in order to pass this assessment, but ratios that prove negative will result in a failure. The Council may consider parent or other company guarantees in the case of a failure. Contract structure/ Lotting and financial capacity Lot 3, is over £1.14 million (£570,649 x 2 years). What is the City Council minimum turnover (for example, income) requirement? We cannot see what it is in the financial regulations and are aware that the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire tender document does not usually state it. We are concerned that if the requirement is 1.5 times or 2 times the contract value, then local organisations who may be willing to lead a bid in the West could be failed at evaluation of their financial capacity? Our understanding is…………….. If the requirement is 1 x the contract value then a turnover of £1.14 million is required If the requirement is 1.5 x the contract value then a turnover of £1.71 million is required If the requirement is 2 x the contract value then a turnover of £2.28 million is required 12 Are you able to clarify? 25. While it is preferable to be using up to date IMD information, could there be a tapered lead-in for those families who are currently eligible to use the Community Family Hub Provision especially Sure Start and who will not be eligible under the new contract arrangements from September, and whose needs would be just below the threshold for the assessed targeted Citywide Family Support Offer? 26. We welcome the breakdown into what is in scope for this opportunity; for example, the Community Family Hub, the Citywide Family Support Offer and assessed targeted services The system has, as its basis, the fiduciary duty to the Council's taxpayers to ensure that the same stringent criteria are applied equally to all contractors and the scoring system is designed to rule out any opportunity for unfair advantage by any individual firm; all results, which have been automatically calculated, are treated as absolute. 3 If we need it the Council may seek evidence about the questions below. Where appropriate the Council will use the services of an independent third party to assess your financial standing or appraisal. Where the Council do use the services of an independent third party, it will take into account the result of the independent assessment at the date that this was conducted. 4 Where the organisation is a subsidiary of a group, all questions must be answered for both the subsidiary and the ultimate parent company. The Council reserve the right to ask for a parent company guarantee. 5 Where you are submitting this PQQ as a consortium, we need the above information for each member organisation. The Council reserves the right to seek clarification of financial information, if required. During the period of transition from current to new arrangements to comments from 1 September 2016 all relevant stakeholders, including incumbent and new Providers, to work together to ensure the needs of Children, Young People and Families are met. This include consideration of establishing appropriate pathways for those individuals and families affected by the changes to scope as a result of current IMD data. 2 Where external delivery is required in the activity areas identified as ‘out of scope’, this will be commissioned separately. 13 provided as intensive Family Support – and taking some Family Support out of scope to be separate contracts/commissioning opportunities including the city wide parent and toddler support. We also welcome the recognition following previous consultation that youth support is best delivered in a separate arrangement to family services. However we note that the budget proposal include £100,000 cut to this contract from £448,000 to £348,000. 27. We welcome the model design of the Lot structure and that retaining a diversity of Providers by limiting the awards to two Lots will retain more Social Value and the potential to involve communities particularly in the Sure Start Advisory Boards. Especially for the Family Support Volunteer Service, it means that local organisations will be able to tender. There may be different arrangements depending on what is delivered. Some may be renewed or they may be procured but arrangements for services ‘out of scope’ will be broadly aligned to this commissioning exercise. The Council will be communication with affected organisations individually. Following feedback and legal advice, the Council has determined to remove proposed restrictions from the Contract Opportunities. Contracts will be awarded to the Winning Bidder in each of the six Lots. Social Value considerations will still influence the commissioning and procurement as detailed in the section of this document regarding the feedback from the Social Value event held on 30 November 2015. 28. We welcome the requirements for 80% of the Family Support Volunteers to come from the 30% IMD areas and believe it will enhance the Social Value of the contract. The Council has considered consultation feedback in the design of current services and PCO and feel these accurately reflect the needs of the City and provides the best opportunities for positive outcomes for individuals and communities across the City. 29. Taking the City Council directly provided services out of the services to be commissioned is also welcomed. We are aware that the prospect of taking on local authority pension liability under TUPE arrangements would be a barrier to many voluntary organisations that were considering tendering. The Council is committed to making the procurement process as accessible as possible and would welcome submissions from current and potential new Providers. We also recognise the value in having a ‘mixed economy’ of workforce to deliver services across the City. 14 Comment/question/point of clarification received at the Social Value Workshop held on Monday, 30 November 2015 Following extensive consultation the Council made a commitment in June 2015 to consider Social Value as part of its commissioning and procurement activity. We have since developed a methodology to assess Social Value within our commissioning and procurement process and it was agreed to test this methodology in the commissioning of Family Support Services. An event was held on 30 November 2015 to explore opportunities to incorporate Social Value requirements into our Family Support Services contracts that would commence September 2016. This document summarises the feedback that was captured during the table discussion exercise at the event. Think, Buy Support Newcastle Event – Key Themes How we will Respond Local beneficiaries need to have an impact on decision making To create the commissioning model the Council fully engaged local people in the service design. Through the contract opportunity we will ensure that local people continue to have a voice throughout the life of the contract to reshape for future opportunities Local organisations already have established networks/ links within the local area and are often trusted by their communities We will ensure that providers have the opportunity to demonstrate this through their tender bid Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process Specification Evaluation questions Key performance indicators Evaluation questions 15 Collaborative and partner working is important for ensuring stability / growth of the local marketplace Organisations that bid for the larger lots will need to demonstrate how their proposed model for delivery will maximise partnership working with other relevant local providers Specification Evaluation questions Local consortia / partnership discussions need realistic timeframes We held a consortia working session in July 2015. Once the proposed contract opportunities are published, there will be time available for organisations to develop their partnerships prior to bidding. The Council will facilitate a networking event to support discussions if there is sufficient interest from the market. Commissioning model design Market feedback session 11 January 2016 In relation to the whole-system (not just the proposed contract opportunities) how will multiagencies e.g. health, in the area work together towards helping families? We will ask organisations to demonstrate through the bid how they will ensure effective multi-agency working Specification Evaluation questions Event – Key Themes How we will Respond Hubs should be located in a place that is accessible and safe for local people to get to We will ensure that accessibility and safety (including transport and equal access considerations) is a key consideration for the location of services within the Community Family Hub The West, Central and East proposed Lots will be split further into smaller Lots. These Lots will Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process Commissioning model design Specification Evaluation questions Community Focused Splitting the geographical areas into smaller Lots will support smaller community organisations to bid and enable services to be Commissioning model design Specification Evaluation questions 16 Event – Key Themes How we will Respond tailored to the needs of the community in that specific area be reflective of the needs within the community that each Lot will operate within The community should have a voice in the service design and delivery As noted above, community consultation has been carried out throughout this commissioning process. We will ensure that mechanisms for community voice are incorporated in the tender documents so that feedback is obtained throughout the delivery of the contract. This will form part of contract management activity. Event – Key Themes How we will Respond Ethical staffing policies such as living wage and travel time need to be deliverable within the budget envelope for the contract Within the pricing element of the tender opportunity consideration will be given to ethical considerations; for example, National Living Wage The proposed contract opportunities are for a two year term with two x 12 month options to extend in order to help support organisational and workforce stability in the delivery of this service As noted above, community consultation has been carried out throughout this commissioning process. We will ensure that mechanisms for community voice are incorporated in the tender Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process Contract requirements Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process Specification Evaluation questions Key performance indicators Ethical Leadership To provide stability for staff it would be helpful to have commitment to a longer term contract rather than an annual contract renewal Service delivery should be informed by local communities Contract requirements Specification Evaluation questions Key performance indicators 17 Event – Key Themes How we will Respond Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process documents so that feedback is obtained throughout the delivery of the contract. This will form part of contract management activity. Green and Sustainable Event – Key Themes How we will Respond The location of the community family hubs should be within walking distance of most people within the local area to avoid excessive transport usage We will ensure that accessibility and safety (including transport and equal access considerations) is a key consideration for the location of the delivery of services within the Community Family Hub. Where possible we will ensure that services are accessible by sustainable transport methods and pedestrian access We will ensure this is a consideration as part of the tender process so that Providers will be able to demonstrate how they will achieve this We will ensure this is a consideration as part of the tender process and any agreed sustainability measures will be monitored through contract management Family support services should have a role to play in educating families on green and sustainable practices Organisations delivering the service should have green and sustainable policies and practices in place for example recycling, minimising paper usage Where this will be Incorporated in the Commissioning and Procurement Process Specification Evaluation questions Evaluation questions Specification Evaluation Key 18 Comments and feedback received at the Provider Workshop held on Monday, 2 June 2015 1. 2. Provider comment/question/point of clarification Participants highlighted a number of examples where the Council may wish to consider commissioning specialist support under separate arrangements. Specific reference was made by participants to: - Support for toddler groups; - Carer support; and - Specialist play provision for children with disabilities. Reply from the Council The feedback from this event and future events were all considered as part of the consultation exercise and informed the PCO published by the Council on 17 December 2015. There was mixed feedback in relation to aligning the requirements of Citywide Family Support and Targeted Youth Services with the proposed Community Family Hub geographical lots: Benefits and opportunities identified by participants - Seamless, more flexible responses for families; - Opportunity for joint and closer working with schools within defined geographical areas; - Stronger alignment between support for families and youth support , as part of a ‘core offer’; and - Strengthened opportunities for early intervention and prevention to avoid the need for more intensive services later; opportunity to bring in additional services through effective signposting. Challenges identified by participants - Creation of geographical boundaries (beyond the defined Lower Level Super Output Areas) would be required if Citywide Family Support and Youth Support were to be organised in a geographic way; and - Potential for duplication. The feedback from this event and future events were all considered as part of the consultation exercise and informed the PCO published by the Council on 17 December 2015. 19 3. 4. Providers felt it would be useful to have more information regarding: - A directory of services that are currently offered in the city - More details about the national Troubled Families payment by results model - Opportunity for a briefing on Ofsted requirements and legal definitions and roles (for example, the role of Sure Start Children’s Centre Advisory Boards) To be ‘tender ready’ Providers would like: - Information on how things work at the moment and what works well; - ‘Speed dating’ event to bring organisations together, this could be facilitated by NCVS; - Clarity as early as possible about available finance; and - Support to understand TUPE The Council shared a contact list of existing providers. The Proposed Contract Opportunities published on 17 December 2015 gave Providers further information on a number of areas related to the delivery of services within the scope of 004870 Family Support Services including; Ofsted requirements, the role of Sure Start Children’s Centre Advisory Boards and Troubled Families. The Council provided Providers with networking time at each event during the consultation process as well as a specific Networking Event held on 1 February 2016. The PCO published on 17 December 2015 gave Providers details of available finances in each proposed Lot, the Councils current model for the delivery of Family Support Services and how these work. The Council has not yet gathered this information but will share this as part of the procurement exercise so financial commitments are clear. It will be the responsibility of the incumbent, employing organisation to assert the TUPE rights of their staff. Providers will need to seek their own independent legal advice regarding any possible implications of TUPE. 20 5. Providers would like the following support to develop collaborative arrangements: - Sharing information about who has attended the events, providing a brief introduction about each organisation and what they do/offer. Providers need to understand what is out there before they can create partnerships; - Recognise the history of partnership in Newcastle; facilitate discussions and get things started to gradually build partnerships; - Consider creating a platform to register interest to facilitate partnership; face to face opportunities to network are preferable. Some interest in a market style event; - Make sure the process builds in enough time to enable robust partnerships to develop; and - Consider the impact of contract length on partnership viability The Council shared a list of current Providers and their contact details. The Council provided Providers with networking time at each event during the consultation process as well as a specific Networking Event held on 1 February 2016. The tender exercise will be seeking to appoint successful Providers to a four-year Framework Agreement (two years with two x 12month options to extend) to commence 1 September 2016. 21 6. Participants generally welcomed the approach to commission the Community Family Hub in three geographical lots based on the Lower Level Super Output Areas presented on the day, whilst identifying a need to make sure that these broad geographies have connectivity with local communities, with schools and with the geographies of other stakeholders. Benefits and opportunities identified by participants - Engenders community identity and opportunities to develop responses that can respond to local need - Residents more clearly able to identify with localised support offers - Commonality of pathways - Potential to develop facilities more sympathetic to local needs and assist in signposting to help families in the localities - Developing specifications that reflect local needs and enable local providers to be part of service delivery. - Mirrors current delivery practice and provides opportunities to strengthen place based responses - Provides opportunities for collaborative working across organisations Challenges identified by participants - Consideration needs to be given to what this means for families whose child(ren) may attend school in a different geography to where they live - Ensuring consistency of quality of support across the three geographical areas - Balance between personal needs of families and geographical approach - Further discussion and information would be welcomed on what the detailed requirements of the Community Family Hub across the geographies would be - The feedback from this event and future events were all considered as part of the consultation exercise and informed the PCO published by the Council on 17 December 2015. A number of this points were discussed further at the Social Value event held on 30 November 2015 and are reflected in the PCO. Further evidence of response to these points will be evidenced in the tender documents when they are published in March 2016. 22 Comments and feedback received at the Provider Workshop held on Wednesday, 20 May 2015 Provider comment/question/point of clarification Reply from the Council 1. There was support for the partnership approach. Providers asked The Council have considered these areas when designing the the Council to consider: proposed Lotting structure. The PCO document provided information of the needs of vulnerable building on what is already in place and working, families in each geographical area. A detailed Service Specification fair participation of smaller and newer organisations, and will be created for each Lot detailing for potential bidders maximising local knowledge and community trust to ensure requirements under each Lot. Tender submission will be evaluated services are fully accessible. on a bidder’s ability to meet these requirements. All successful Providers will need to work closely with the CFH Integrated Leadership Team and the Service Manager, Early Help and Family Support will have responsibility to ensure all successful Provider are delivering the most appropriate services to vulnerable families in the three geographical areas. 2. There is a need for clear consistent and regular communication between the Council and providers throughout the commissioning and procurement process. The Council will ensure have held a number of events to engage with current and potential new Providers throughout the Commissioning process: 20 May 2015 – Provider Workshop, 2 June 2015 – Provider Workshop, 15 July 2015 – Tender Ready Session, 30 November 2015 – Social Value Workshop, and 11 January 2016 – Provider Workshop. 1 February 2016 – Provider Networking Event Once we move into the Procurement phase of the process all communication will be through the NEPO Electronic Tendering Portal to meet the requirements of European Public Contract Regulations and to ensure a clear, open and transparent process 23 3. We need to be clear about the benefits to users of this commissioning exercise. The Council will continue to ensure that the benefits and outcomes to users remain a priority under current and new arrangements commencing from 1 September 2016. All delivery elements within the Community Family Hub will deliver to, and be measured against, the Sure Start Children’s Centre Core Purpose, the Ofsted Inspection Framework and Newcastle’s Family Outcomes Plan 2015 – 2020 (Appendix 7 to the PCO). Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sure-start-childrens-centres-localauthorities-duties https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/drupalncc.newcastle.gov.uk/files /wwwfileroot/education-and-learning/youngpeople/newcastle_children_and_young_people_2015-2020.pdf In addition, through the award of Contracts for an initial period of two years with a further two x 12-month options to extend the Council will achieve stability for Providers and users. 4. Stability through longer term contracts would be welcomed. The tender exercise will be seeking to appoint successful Providers to a four-year Framework Agreement (two years with two x 12month options to extend) to commence 1 September 2016. 5. Organisations expressed concerns about the impact of the elections on the proposed commissioning exercise. Any implications of the elections have been fully considered and reflected in our PCO document. 24 Appendix One A full list of the organisations who attended events. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 NACRO 4 Children Action for Children Avanta Barnados Benfield School Big Life Families Blue Stone Consortium Building Futures East Byker Bridge Housing and Support Accommodation Ltd Central Walker School Children North East Citizens Advice Newcastle Core Children Services Cruddas Park Early Years Denton Youth and Community Project Families in Care Footsteps Children's Services Ltd Foundation Healthworks Heaton Community Centre Hotspur Primary School Ingeus Lifeline 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Millin Centre Newcastle Action for Parent and Toddlers Initiative Newcastle Carers Newcastle Community Voluntary Service Newcastle Toy and Leisure Library North Fawdon Primary School Princes’ Trust Relate Remploy Ltd Reverse Innovation Richmond Fellowship Riverside Community Health Project Shelter Spurgeons St Martins Centre Partnership Stepney Bank Stables Streetwise Success 4 All The Childrens Society The Crèche Mobile Project Thirteen Group Walkergate Primary School Your Homes Newcastle 25 Appendix Two Question raised by Providers: To enable bidding organisations to appropriately design their response to the tender, can the Council please provide more information about the staff employed by the Council and the services that they will deliver under the new arrangements; those services indicated in pink in the table on page 14 (diagram 3.) of the Proposed Contract Opportunities document. Please see below response from the Council Community Family Hub – City West Job Title Job Role Community Family Hub Lead Full Time Equivalent 1.00 Sure Start Specialist Practitioner 1.00 To lead the delivery of integrated early childhood services to improve the well-being of young children and to develop and support effective partnership arrangements in the designated Community Family Hub area 2 x Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead 2.00 To lead the delivery of integrated early childhood services to improve the well-being of young children and to develop and support effective partnership arrangements in the designated Community Family Hub area Sure Start Development Worker 1.00 To encourage and develop partnerships with parents, carers and young children, supporting them to access local services including learning and training opportunities. To support the integration of community development principles and practices so that local people are involved in To provide area leadership and accountability for the LA duty to improve the well-being of young children through the multiagency delivery of integrated childhood services through Sure Start Children’s Centres and through Intensive Family Support for families with children 0-18 with additional need. 26 Job Title Full Time Equivalent Job Role the development and delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres within the Community Family Hub. 4 x Family Participation and Information Workers 2.90 To assist in the promotion of Sure Start Children’s Centre/s within the Community Family Hub area to children and their parents and parents-tobe. Encouraging participation by engaging with families through outreach, publicity and the production of reliable information. Integrated Early Childhood Services Officer 0.88 To encourage and develop partnerships with parents, carers and young children, supporting them to access local services including learning and training opportunities. To support the integration of community development principles and practices so that local people are involved in the development and delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres within the Community Family Hub. 9 x Early Years Practitioner 7.00 To support the development of quality play opportunities within the designated Children’s Centre area within the Community Family Hub, working in partnership with local partners, parents and the maintained, private and voluntary sector in order to encourage and support parent’s engagement and development. To support the Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead in ensuring that the Sure Start centre reflects the philosophy and objectives of Sure Start Childrens centres. 2 x Sure Start Teacher 1.20 To provide the Qualified Teacher support to the Sure Start Children’s Centre offer 27 Job Title Full Time Equivalent 1.00 Job Role 8 x Intensive Family Support Key worker 7.30 To provide support to families, children and young people to make agreed changes in school, community and family life to improve outcomes for the whole family. To contribute to the delivery of the Newcastle Family Outcome Plan. 2 x Citywide Offer Intensive Family Support Key Worker 1.00 To provide support to families, children and young people to make agreed changes in school, community and family life to improve outcomes for the whole family. To contribute to the delivery of the Newcastle Family Outcome Plan. Kaleidrascope Family Support Worker 1.00 To provide family support as part of the Kaleidrascope Project to families who are asylum seekers, refugees or other new international new arrivals. Sure Start Development Worker 1.00 To encourage and develop partnerships with parents, carers and young children, supporting them to access local services including learning and training opportunities. To support the integration of community development principles and practices so that local people are involved in the development and delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres within the Community Family Hub. Intensive Family Support Lead To lead, manage and supervise all intensive family support including direct management of Intensive Family Support Keyworkers to ensure effective intensive family support provision. To contribute to planning and improvement of all related services in order to ensure the continuous improvement of support to parents and families. To contribute to the delivery of Newcastle Family Plan outcomes. 28 Community Family Hub – City Central Job Title 2 x Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead Full Time Equivalent 2.00 Job Role To lead the delivery of integrated early childhood services to improve the well-being of young children and to develop and support effective partnership arrangements in the designated Community Family Hub area. 5 x Family Participation and Information Worker 4.40 To assist in the promotion of Sure Start Children’s Centre/s within the Community Family Hub area to children and their parents and parents-tobe. Encouraging participation by engaging with families through outreach, publicity and the production of reliable information. 5 x Early Years Practitioner 4.00 To support the development of quality play opportunities within the designated Children’s Centre area within the Community Family Hub, working in partnership with local partners, parents and the maintained, private and voluntary sector in order to encourage and support parents’ engagement and development. To support the Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead in ensuring that the Sure Start centre reflects the philosophy and objectives of Sure Start Childrens Centres. Sure Start Teacher 1.00 To provide the Qualified Teacher support to the Sure Start Children’s Centre offer Intensive Family Support Lead 1.00 To lead, manage and supervise all intensive family support including direct management of Intensive Family Support Keyworkers to ensure effective intensive family support provision. To contribute to planning and improvement of all related services in order to ensure the continuous 29 Job Title Full Time Equivalent Job Role improvement of support to parents and families. To contribute to the delivery of Newcastle Family Plan outcomes. 8 x Intensive Family Support Key worker 6.20 To provide support to families, children and young people to make agreed changes in school, community and family life to improve outcomes for the whole family. To contribute to the delivery of the Newcastle Family Outcome Plan. Citywide Offer Intensive Family Support Key Worker 2.00 To provide support to families, children and young people to make agreed changes in school, community and family life to improve outcomes for the whole family. To contribute to the delivery of the Newcastle Family Outcome Plan. Full Time Equivalent 1.00 Job Role 1.00 To provide the Qualified Teacher support to the Sure Start Children’s Centre offer Community Family Hub – City East Job Title Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead Sure Start Teacher To lead the delivery of integrated early childhood services to improve the well-being of young children and to develop and support effective partnership arrangements in the designated Community Family Hub area 30 Job Title Job Role Family Outreach Worker Full Time Equivalent 1.00 2 x Early Years Practitioner 2.00 To support the development of quality play opportunities within the designated Children’s Centre area within the Community Family Hub, working in partnership with local partners, parents and the maintained, private and voluntary sector in order to encourage and support parents’ engagement and development. To support the Integrated Early Childhood Services Practice Lead in ensuring that the Sure Start centre reflects the philosophy and objectives of Sure Start Childrens Centres. Sure Start Childcare Officer 0.60 To engage with parents and facilitate take up of the 2 year old funding. To provide support to families, children and young people to make agreed changes in school, community and family life to improve outcomes for the whole family. To contribute to the delivery of the Newcastle Family Outcome Plan. 31