The Executive Director of Adult Care and Health Services submitted a report seeking approval to enter into a joint arrangement with Bracknell Forest Council to supply the out of hours Emergency Duty Service for Reading.

The report explained that the Emergency Duty Service (EDS) was a joint arrangement responsible for all social services emergencies and statutory duties which arose outside normal office hours, including out of hours homelessness support. The service was hosted, and managed, within the People’s Directorate of Bracknell Forest Council, and was responsible for all client groups (Adults & Children’s’ Social Care Emergencies) of the six local authorities of Berkshire.  The EDS provided a service to individuals and families in social crisis which required an immediate and/or urgent response. The role of the EDS was to carry out an initial screening of the presenting situation and establish a safe and viable solution pending follow up by the appropriate local authority’s daytime services. In terms of volume, during 2019/20 approximately 500 referrals from Reading service users had been actioned by the EDS per month.

The report explained that the current agreement for the service expired in June 2020 and there was a new agreement to cover a seven-year period from June 2020 - May 2027.  The new agreement would still include all six Berkshire local authorities and Brighter Futures for Children had access to this service as part of a Service Level Agreement with the Council. The report recommended authorising the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health Services in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care and the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services to enter into proposed replacement contract with Bracknell Forest Borough Council on the basis set out in the report and noting that the total contract value was in the sum of £2,766,330.

Resolved -

That the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health Services be authorised, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Adult Social Care and the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services, to enter into a joint arrangement with Bracknell Forest Borough Council to supply out of hours Emergency Duty Service for Reading.