4 - Access to Counselling
Renfrewshire Council · 8 June 2023
Back to Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board — 8 June 2023 and its agenda
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1 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board On: 08 June 2023 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Report by the Director of Finance and Resources and the Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Access to Counselling in Schools (RC-CPU-22-251) ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek the approval of the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board to enter into a contract for Access to Counselling in Schools. 1.2 The recommendation to award this Contract follows a procurement exercise which was conducted as an Open Procedure for an above GPA threshold contract in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, as amended, for Social and Other Specific Services. 1.3 A Contract Strategy for this contract was approved by the Head of Schools (Senior Phase & Inclusion), Children’s Services on 30 January 2023 and the Strategic Commercial and Procurement Manager on 31 January 2023. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations It is recommended that the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board authorise the Head of Corporate Governance to award a contract:
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2 2.1 For Access to Counselling in Schools, reference RC-CPU-22-251 to Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited. 2.2 The commencement date of the contract is anticipated to be the 01 September 2023 for 34 months until 30 June 2026; the actual dates for this contract will be confirmed in the Council’s Letter of Acceptance. 2.3 At a contract value of up to a maximum of £1,247,000.00 (£36,676.47 per month) excluding VAT for the 34 month contract period. _________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The recommendations and actions from the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27 highlight the significant need to provide opportunities for early intervention and prevention to avoid the unnecessary escalation of emotional distress in children and young people. By promoting positive mental health in children and young people from an early age, the range of positive school outcomes such as: attitudes to learning, better attendance and lower exclusion rates will greatly increase. 3.2 The Scottish Government has demonstrated ongoing commitment to supporting positive mental health of children and young people in schools. This support includes continued funding to local authorities to ensure that schools have access to counselling services. These counselling services are focused on prevention and early intervention and include supports for positive mental health and wellbeing as well as for emotional distress. 3.3 The provision of Access to Counselling in Schools within Renfrewshire schools will support delivery of one of Renfrewshire Council’s strategic priorities “to reduce inequalities and deliver improved health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people”. This will be a universal counselling service accessible to children and young people in primary, secondary and ASN schools, with services predominantly delivered in a school setting. 3.4 The procurement process for this contract was conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, as amended, for a Social and Other Specific Services Contract using the Open Procedure and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts.
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3 A contract notice was published on 07 February 2023 on the Find a Tender Service, the tender was also published and available on this date. The Tender submission deadline was 12:00 on 09 March 2023. 3.5 During the tendering period, ten (10) economic operators expressed an interest in the tender opportunity with four (4) responses submitted and a further six (6) economic operators who failed to respond. A list of economic operators who submitted a tender response (tenderers) is detailed in 3.7 of this report. 3.6 In accordance with Standing Order relating to Contracts 11.5, the four (4) received tender submissions were each evaluated against a pre- determined set of criteria in the form of the Single Procurement Document (SPD) by representatives from Children’s Services, Corporate Procurement Unit, Risk Management and Health and Safety. All tenderers confirmed compliance with the minimum selection criteria set within the SPD. Each tender submission was then evaluated against the published award criteria of 80% Quality and 20% Price. 3.7 The scores relative to the Award Criteria for each of the four (4) Tenderers are noted below: Tenderer Quality (80%) Price (20%) TOTAL Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited 79.25% 18.91% 98.16% RAMH 59.75% 20.00% 79.75% The Glasgow Council on Alcohol 50.50% 19.04% 69.54% Youth Interventions 23.00% 18.93% 41.93% 3.8 The evaluation of the tender submissions received identified that the tender submitted by Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited was the most economically advantageous tender submission. 3.9 Community Benefits were requested as part of this procurement process. Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited has confirmed the following will be delivered as part of the contract:
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4 Community Benefit Number Offered Job for an unemployed individual 1 Industry Awareness Events 3 Industry Skill Transfer to Schools. 3 Business advice/support to an SME /Social Enterprise/ Voluntary organisation 3 Implications of the Report 1. Financial – Will be met by Children’s Services, through Scottish Government funding streams. 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is well: Supporting the wellness and resilience of our citizens and communities: o Promoting wellbeing and good mental health, particularly in our young people; o Developing strong community-based services that respond to local need. Our Renfrewshire is fair: Addressing the inequalities which limit life chances: o Ensuring our children get the best possible start in life; o Addressing the poverty related attainment gap, and young people can achieve success after school; o Tackling health inequalities and narrowing the gaps in healthy life expectancy. Place – working together to enhance wellbeing across communities: o We want children to grow up excited, inspired and encouraged to fulfil their potential in Renfrewshire and want them to continue to stay here. Fair – nurturing bright, happy and healthy futures for all: o Protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities, including children and young people who are at risk; o Supporting and nurturing children and families, with particular focus on early intervention and mental health and wellbeing, to ensure positive outcomes for children and young people;
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5 o Enhancing supports around mental health and wellbeing, including school-based mental health and wellbeing programmes and the provision of early help services to those in need o Raising educational attainment while ensuring equity for all our children and young people. 4. Legal – This procurement was carried out in accordance with the procedures for an above GPA Threshold contract under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 as amended for a Social and Other Specific Services contract and the Council’s Standing Orders Relating to Contracts. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report may be assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights by Children’s Services. 8. Health & Safety - The Health and Safety submission has been assessed by Corporate Health and Safety Officers, Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited were deemed to meet the necessary requirements. 9. Procurement - The procurement procedures outlined within this report shall ensure that the Council meets its statutory requirements in respect of procurement procedures, efficiency and modern Government. 10. Risk - The insurances submitted by Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited was assessed by Renfrewshire Council’s Risk Officer and satisfied the Council’s requirements. 11. Privacy Impact - The contract contains Renfrewshire Council’s General Conditions of Contract data protection provisions. Therapeutic Counselling Services Limited will be a Data Controller and, as such, have a legal responsibility to comply with Data Protection legislation when collecting, processing and storing personal data to those receiving a service under this contract. 12. Cosla Policy Position - None. 13. Climate – None. _________________________________________________________
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6 List of Background Papers - None. ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Shona Brydson, Senior Procurement Specialist, Corporate Procurement Unit – shona.brydson@renfrewshire.gov.uk