Issue - meetings

This report makes recommendations regarding the procurement of two contractsfor the provision of speech and language therapy to support Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

It was RESOLVED:

14.1    That an exemption pursuant to Contract Standing Order 84(a) of the requirement to tender a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in mainstream schools and a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in Children’s Centres for the operational and financial reasons set out in sections 3 and 4 of the report, be approved;

14.2    That a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in mainstream schools from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 be awarded to London North West NHS Healthcare Trust; and

14.3    That a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in Children’s Centres from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 to be awarded to Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

Councillor Mili Patel (Lead Member for Children and Young People) introduced the report which sought to directly award two contracts for the provision of speech and language therapy to support Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). She noted that the Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) joint inspection of the local area on implementation of the SEND reforms had identified a fragmented approach to joint commissioning, which had been addressed through the subsequent Written Statement of Action in response. She explained that the proposed 12 month contract awards would allow the existing contracts to be retained with varied specifications to resolve any previous service gaps, plus allow sufficient time to progress the integration of the Council and Clinical Commissioning Group’s commissioning requirements.

It was RESOLVED:

15.1    That an exemption pursuant to Contract Standing Order 84(a) of the requirement to tender a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in mainstream schools and a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in Children’s Centres for the operational and financial reasons set out in sections 3 and 4 of the report, be approved;

15.2    That a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in mainstream schools from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 be awarded to London North West NHS Healthcare Trust; and

15.3    That a twelve month contract for Speech and Language Therapy in Children’s Centres from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019 to be awarded to Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.