Short description of the contract or purchase(s)
Introduction
The City of Cardiff Council is committed to supporting citizens with a Learning Disability, to live independently in the community within their own homes.
The Council would like to invite expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to provide Supported Living Services to citizens with a Learning Disability.
The current contractual arrangement supports 257 (October 2014) citizens within Cardiff across 91 supported living schemes and will expire on July 31st 2015. It is anticipated that the number of citizens in supported living may increase due to new supported living schemes being developed over the lifetime of the proposed contract although no guarantee can be given with regard to the volume of services required.
The City of Cardiff Council therefore, seeks to appoint a number of Supported Living provider organisations to deliver Personal Domiciliary Care and Housing Related Support services for citizens with a Learning Disability across the city.
For the purposes of these services, Cardiff has been split into six localities with each locality representing a separate lot. Bidders should note that the Council intends to award contracts to a minimum of three and a maximum of six provider organisations to provide these services. Bidders are free to bid for any number of lots but award will be restricted to a maximum of two lots.
The Council proposes to award two separate contracts to the appointed provider for each locality: one in relation to the Housing Related Support (HRS) services and the other in relation to Personal Domiciliary Care (PDC) services. The estimated total of both the proposed contracts is £15 million.
The proposed Contracts will commence on 1st August 2015 and will be have a fixed term of three years, with the option to extend for up to a further period, or periods equating to no more than 2 years, and provided that the contract does not extend beyond 31st July 2020.
It is anticipated that there will be future development of schemes over the period of the period of the contract and this will be managed via variation schedules in line with the Council’s governance. The requirements for each locality will be based on the number of schemes and individual assessed need. That information will provide a picture that will determine an affordability threshold.
The City of Cardiff Council welcomes bids from all organisations, including consortia, lead contractor organisations and sole tenderers.
Background
The principles of The City of Cardiff Councils Supported Living Service provision are that people with a Learning Disability are able to own or rent their own home and have control over the support they receive in order to live independently in the community.
Supported living assumes that all people with Learning Disabilities, regardless of the level or type of disability, are able to make choices about how to live their lives even if the person does not make choices in conventional ways.
Current Supported Living models in Cardiff include:
- Citizens living in a rented or owned property receiving an individual support package
- Citizens sharing accommodation with others in a rented property (usually through a Registered Social Landlord) with each tenant receiving an individual support package
- Citizens living in a network of houses or flats, providing support to others as well as getting individual support (also known as Core & Cluster accommodation & support)
Bidders should note that this service does not include Adult Placement /Shared Lives provision or Learning Disabilities residential care provision.
The City of Cardiff Council is committed to providing a range of high quality, person centred and co-produced services which promote and maintain the independence and inclusion of citizens with Learning Disabilities: including Autism Spectrum Conditions, Physical and Sensory Impairment, Challenging Behaviour and Complex Needs.
In order to progress this vision, the City of Cardiff Council intends to commission Domiciliary Care and Housing Related Support services for Supported Living Services which can respond flexibly to the needs of citizens, carers, commissioners and other stakeholders. These services will enable citizens to live as independently as possible.
It is expected that support delivered as part of this contract will be of high quality and will be delivered by suitably trained and qualified staff. Support will be personalised and outcome focused, co produced with citizens, family carers and other stakeholders.
The provision of support through the current model has been successful in delivering the specified care and support requirements for the citizens, families/carers and Council. However, in order to further develop the principles of a citizen directed support service, the strategic vision for the future provision of Supported Living model will be based on:
i. Outcomes based services
ii. Greater choice and control
iii. Independence
The model will focus on outcomes based working. The lead locality providers will support each individual to meet their identified outcomes .This will involve creative solutions with provider organisations accessing a range of services, including community and Council wide services, to meet outcomes.
For further information on Learning Disabilities and Supported Living services in Cardiff please refer to the Cardiff Council Learning Disability Commissioning Strategy 2012-2017.
As part of the procurement process, Cardiff Council would like to invite interested organisations to attend a bidder’s forum regarding this opportunity.
Cardiff Council in partnership with Business Wales will host two sessions, taking place on Friday 7th November 2014 at 9.30am and 1.30 pm. Further details of the sessions will be provided prior to 7th November 2014.
It is intended that the sessions will be used to provide an overview of the Supported Living services model and client base, the tender process and the lotting process, a summary of the nature of the services required and will also address any questions that suppliers may have regarding the procurement process. The forum will also be used as an opportunity for Business Wales to provide support and assistance to potential suppliers to complete the PQQ application documents for this opportunity.
The forum will be attended by representatives from the Health & Social Care Directorate, Commissioning & Procurement and Business Wales.
Additional Information
The Council is undertaking a two stage restricted tender process where a pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) will be used (Selection Stage) to create a shortlist of provider organisations that meet the Council’s minimum criteria for the contract.
The Council will evaluate the provider organisations ability to meet minimum selected criteria, such as but not limited to insurance levels, economic and financial standing, capacity and capability and past experience.
Bidders should note that the closing date for submissions is 12:00:00 pm on 28th November 2014 and a threshold pass mark of 50% will be applied at the PQQ selection stage. Only provider organisations which pass this threshold will be invited to tender (Award Stage).
To express an interest and download the tender documents for this opportunity, please go to the Council's e-tendering website https://www.proactisplaza.com/SupplierPortal/Public/Register.aspx
and if you are not already registered, please complete the free registration process ensuring that you select Cardiff and the Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) codes, 85000000 Health and social work services, 85320000 Social services, 85312000 Social work services without accommodation.
Once you have registered, please go to the opportunity ERFX1000256: Learning Disability Supported Living Services.” and express an interest. You will then be able to download the documentation.
Please ensure that you read the tender documents carefully in order to be aware of the requirements of the process and all the relevant deadlines.
***** Tender Documentation can only be accessed through the Website ***
The services being procured fall within Part B of the Procurement Regulations and, as such, the Procurement Regulations only apply in part to this procurement. Accordingly tenderers should note that the Council has chosen voluntarily to issue the contract notice and for the avoidance of doubt this action shall not give rise to any further obligations other than those applicable to Part B services.
Given this is a voluntary contract notice, bidders should note that all dates relating to the process are subject to change. The Council will use a fair, transparent and proportionate procedure with timescales and processes chosen by the Council. For the avoidance of doubt the Council will not be bound by and statutory time limits as this is a contract opportunity which for the purposes of the Public Contracts regulations is a Part B Service, and therefore not subject to the full extent of the Public Contract Regulations (as amended) is not required to be tendered under the Public Contract Regulations (as amended) and accordingly the Council is only obliged to comply with those parts of the Regulations (as amended) which apply to Part B Services.
The Council reserves the right to award all, part or none of the business forming the subject matter of this procurement and to abandon, halt, pause, postpone this procurement at any time. Under no circumstances will the Council incur any liability (including, but not limited to, liability as to costs) in respect of this procurement exercise, the abandonment of the same, or any documentation issued as part of this procurement exercise.
Lodging of Appeals
The Authority will incorporate a voluntary standstill period as a matter or good practice. However this is not to be construed as evidencing compliance with the Public Contract Regulations (as amended). For the avoidance of doubt this is a Part B Service, and the Council is not obliged to comply with the standstill requirements and simply shall incorporate into the timetable to evidence transparency, as directed by the Public Contracts Regulations (as amended) and send the award decision notice which will include: if the bid is held not to be compliant with any technical specification, the reason for that decision; the name of the party to be awarded the contract, and a precise statement of when the standstill period is expected to end, including how it may be affected by any “contingencies” eg., complaints or challenges, and the date after which the contract may be entered into.
Applicants will have the duration of the standstill period to ask further questions or bring proceedings.
NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=16908.
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