Summary

OCID:

Published by:

Doncaster Borough Council

Authority ID:

AA76681

Publication date:

04 December 2020

Deadline date:

-

Notice type:

Contract Award Notice

Has documents:

No

Has SPD:

No

Has Carbon Reduction Plan:

N/A

Abstract

Delivery of educational services to keys stage 3 and key 4 under social impact bond contract awarded in 2018 to the Innovation Unit and Big Issue Invest resulting in an SPV BPI Ltd being established, with Big Picture learning the appointed sub-contractor. Since the award of the contract, the Council has made a number of variations to the contract and intends to make further modifications following approval of the Councils Cabinet and Life Chances Fund.

These variations include and have included

• flat fee payments of GBP 565 647 made to the SPV between February 2020 and August 2020 regardless of Outcomes;

• the existing Big Picture school will convert to an alternative provision and will be de-registered with the Department for Education as a school for 26 October 2020;

• a new curriculum model has been developed to include a blended offer with online delivery where necessary, with a strong emphasis on workplace skills for all year groups;

• the new Key Stage 4 offer will be co-developed with a group of partners who will be procured by the special purpose vehicle. These partners will be proven education or pastoral support providers within the local area, who will then mobilise provision in accordance with the contract. An updated set of outcomes will be aligned to the demands of the new service and this will be included in a contract variation;

• the key stage 3 provision will open as an alternative provision in November 2020 and the Key Stage 4 model Spring 2021;

• there has been agreement on a new financial model to support this change. The shifts in delivery model and the change in the nature and volume of the cohort will ultimately produce a higher quality delivery at a lower cost than previously planned. At key stage 3, 90 young people accessing the model in the first year, as opposed to the 60 young people who would have attended the school under the original contract, with young people being accommodated for up to 18 weeks and then supported in their return into the mainstream classroom. This will be complemented by a further 30 young people accessing the Key Stage 4 alternative provision during the 2020-2021 academic year;

• a new identification and recruitment procedure has been developed which will guarantee sufficient places and finances for the new model whilst ensuring that the right young people will receive support as quickly as is possible.

The above changes will be reflected in a contract variation which will be enacted after the cabinet decision described below. An agreement has been made with Opportunities Doncaster and the Chamber of Commerce to support the delivery of work experience and work place mentoring for all students accessing the key stage 4 provision.