Leeds City Council

Civic Hall

Leeds

UK

Contact person: Eleanor Hastwell

E-mail: eleanor.hastwell@leeds.gov.uk

NUTS: UKE42

Internet address(es)

Main address: http://www.leeds.gov.uk

II.1.1) Title

Reference number: DN473934

II.1.2) Main CPV code

85000000

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

Nursing and residential care home for people whose mental health needs cannot be satisfactorily met by other services.

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

II.1.7) Total value of the procurement

Value excluding VAT: 914 723.00  GBP

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition

Justification for selected award procedure:

The works, supplies or services can be provided only by a particular economic operator for the following reason: absence of competition for technical reasons

Explanation

Following a review of service provision and available procurement options, it is considered that only Community Links (Northern) Ltd can meet our requirements to deliver these services and approval has been granted to enter into a negotiated procurement process with the provider. The negotiated procedure without prior publication of a notice under Regulation 32 (2) (b) (ii) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 will be used when awarding the contract to Community Links (Northern) Ltd. The reasons for this decision are:

A wider review of community based mental health services is being undertaken in conjunction with the CCG. A decision to review and re-procure the services in conjunction with the CCG was only supported in December 2019 at the integrated commissioning executive meeting. At this meeting, the outcomes and priorities contained within the draft mental health strategy for the city were also discussed and approved.

As an NHS body, the CCG has to adhere to certain statutory guidance around conducting engagement as part of any potential change to service provision. The process must therefore be undertaken within the required statutory time period of 6 months, which we must allow time for within the process.

The Council is committed to working collaboratively with the CCG, as mandated by the NHS Long Term Plan and the Leeds Mental Health Strategy. On that basis, we are undertaking a joint review of services which are jointly funded. Procuring solely the Council-funded element of a jointly funded service is not an available option for us as part of the wider joint review and is not aligned to CCG health priorities as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

Community Links (Northern) Ltd. has provided the services at Oakwood Hall for a period in excess of twenty years. We must therefore work with them to inform and shape the new service provision. If they were not involved in the review then the quality of the outcome of the review would be diminished. Maintaining service continuity will therefore be a requirement of the service review.

Undertaking a competitive procurement exercise whilst the review work is being undertaken would also be disruptive to the lives of very vulnerable service users who can be unsettled by change of any type, least of all the provider delivering their care and support changing. Having a change of provider for a short period could also result in a potential loss of knowledgeable staff and incur additional financial cost.

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No

IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number in the OJ S:

2020/S 072-173678

Community Links (Northern) Ltd

3 Limewood Way, Leeds LS14 1AB

UK

NUTS: UKE42

The contractor is an SME: Yes

VI.4.1) Review body