Decision details

Temporary Agency Staff - Contract Procurement

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Director of Resources submitted a report seeking authority to procure and award a contract for the supply of temporary agency staff for a period of three years, with an option to extend for a further one year in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

 

The report noted that the Council and Brighter Futures for Children spent a significant amount of money on temporary agency staff, in line with most Local Authorities, with expenditure falling from a peak of £14m in 2017/18 to a forecast of £10.5m in 2019/20.  Significant focus had been applied to increasing the number of permanent staff and reducing the numbers of temporary staff to a minimum, but the Council could not rely fully on permanent staffing as there were situations where the use of a temporary member of staff was the most effective or only way of covering a post.

 

The report explained that the Council currently operated a managed service provider model through a framework call off contract with Reed, which ran until February 2021, and that it was proposed to continue with a hybrid managed service provider model.  The new contract would be for three years with an option to extend by one year and total value over four years was approximately £40m based on current usage.

 

The report stated that the proposed procurement approach was to use the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) to access Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR) 3, the leading temporary staff framework for Local Authorities.  This would involve running a ‘mini-competition’ to ensure best available rates were achieved with the solution tailored to the Council’s requirements.  It was expected that the re-tender of this contract would achieve additional savings of around £100k per year, which had been included in the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

 

Resolved –

 

          That the Executive Director of Resources, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Corporate and Consumer Services, be authorised to procure and award a contract to provide temporary agency staff for an initial term of three years with an option to extend for a further one year under the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation Framework Agreement, Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources (MSTAR).

Publication date: 13/02/2020

Date of decision: 20/01/2020

Decided at meeting: 20/01/2020 - Policy Committee

Accompanying Documents: