Agenda item

Drug & Alcohol Service Recommissioning

Councillor Hoskin / Director of Adult Care & Health Services

 

This report seeks approval to recommission Reading’s Drugs and Alcohol Treatment service through a competitive tender exercise, in line with consultation undertaken on a draft Drugs and Alcohol Strategy.

Minutes:

Further to Minute 43 of the meeting held on 30 October 2017, the Director of Adult Care and Health Services submitted a report setting out the outcomes of consultation on the draft Reading Drug and Alcohol Commissioning Strategy for Young People and Adults 2018-22 (the Strategy) and seeking approval to recommission Reading’s Drugs and Alcohol Treatment service in line with the Strategy.  The following documents were attached to the report:

 

·         Appendix 1 – Reading Drugs and Alcohol Draft Strategy and Consultation Outcomes Report

·         Appendix 2 - Drugs and Alcohol Contracts List

·         Appendix 3 – Equality Impact Assessment

 

An addendum to the report set out additional information on the Strategy and recommended that it be endorsed by the Committee.

 

The report noted that three priorities had been identified in the draft Strategy: Prevention (reducing the amount of alcohol people drink to safer levels and reducing drug related harm), Treatment (Commissioning and delivering high quality drug and alcohol treatment systems) and Enforcement and Regulation (tackling alcohol and drug related crime and anti-social behaviour).  A public consultation exercise had been carried out between 21 February 2018 to 23 April 2018, asking whether people agreed with the strategic priorities for Reading and to suggest what was needed to achieve each one. The consultation had shown high level of agreement with the priorities and the response would be used to develop a local action plan to support each of the three priorities.

 

The report explained that the outcome of consultation on the Strategy enabled public health and social care commissioners to design a new service specification, and it was proposed that Reading work with sub-regional public health and local authority partners to recommission the new contract and specification.  There was already in-principle agreement with partners to jointly commission one single provider to deliver all services in a more efficient way, and the report sought approval for the market engagement, procurement and award through delegated powers of a contract to provide the service from 1 October 2019.  It was also intended to merge a number of smaller public health contracts, which were set out in Appendix 2 to the report. Approval was also sought to extend the contract with the current provider of Drug and Alcohol Services to 30 September 2019.

 

In retendering the contract, it was recommended that the Council enter into a new Lease on 4 Waylen Street (the location for the adult drug and alcohol service) with the winning bidder from 1 October 2019, on the current terms.

 

The report noted that once approval to tender had been agreed, engagement with people who accessed services, the public, partners and stakeholders would commence to ensure that the proposed service model was fit for purpose. The proposed model would then be presented to the market through another Market Consultation, to test the model’s deliverability and prepare the market prior to the procurement being published.  The report set out a full timetable of the proposed procurement process leading to the new service provision from 1 October 2019.

 

Resolved –

 

(1)     That the eight weeks consultation results of the Reading Drug and Alcohol Commissioning Strategy for Young People and Adults 2018-2022 be noted;

 

(2)     That the Reading Drug and Alcohol Commissioning Strategy for Young People and Adults 2018-2022 be endorsed;

 

(3)     That the next steps in the production of the action plan for each of the three priorities and development of service specification be noted;

 

(4)     That the re-procurement of Reading’s Drug and Alcohol treatment service from 1 October 2019 be approved;

 

(5)     That the in-principle agreement to jointly procure services with Sub regional Pan Berkshire Authorities be approved;

 

(6)     That the intention to merge a number of smaller public health contracts as detailed in Appendix 2 be noted;

 

(7)     That the indicative tender timeframe detailed in the report be noted;

 

(8)     That the Director of Adult & Health Care Services, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Health, Wellbeing & Sport, the Director of Resources and the Head of Legal & Democratic Services, be authorised to award the contract for the Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Treatment System to the successful Contractor following completion of the tendering exercise in 2019;

 

(9)     That the Council enter into a contract with the successful bidder for a period of three years, with the option to extend for a further four years, to be agreed at the end of year three and year five (3 +2+2);

 

(10)    That the Head of Planning, Development and Regulatory Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Lead Councillor for Health, Wellbeing & Sport, the Director of Finance and the Head of Legal & Democratic Services be authorised to grant a further lease of 4 Waylen Street to the successful bidder for the term of the treatment contract on the terms set out in the report;

 

(11)    That the current contract with Cranstoun be extended for 12 months, from 1 October 2018 to 30 September 2019.

Supporting documents: