Manylion y penderfyniad

1.      The Council currently purchases c1225 part-time childcare places for all eligible Flying Start 2-3 year olds during the school year, purchased across 34 child care settings.  These are contracted out to 18 providers.  Currently 20 settings are out of contract.

2.      The purpose of the report is to seek authority to Direct Award 13 contracts for Flying Start childcare and to go out to open tender on a further 7 contracts. 

3.      The approach seeks to minimise risks of operating without formal contractual arrangements in place and aims to minimise the potential impact of a fragmentation or reduction in the numbers of providers offering the service in Cardiff, particularly where there is a limited choice of provider.

Appendix 4 to this report is exempt from publication because it contains information of the kind described in Paragraph 16 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972

RESOLVED: that

1.            the proposed model for commissioning Flying Start childcare places for eligible Flying Start families, as set out in the body of the report and appendix 1 of the report be approved  

2.            authority be delegated to the Director of Education and Lifelong Learning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Performance, the Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Families, the Council’s Section 151 Officer and the Director of Law and Governance;

a.         to deal with all aspects of the procurement of Flying Start Childcare Services as set out in the report, up to and including the award of contracts;

b.         to deal with all ancillary matters which pertain to the recommissioning proposals set out in this report, including, without limitation, making decision as to any direct award of contracts that may be required until the recommissioning arrangements are in place;

3.            the direct award of contracts for the provision of Flying Start Childcare services funded by the Flying Start Programme to each of the 13 existing providers named at Appendix 5, such contracts having a term of 3 years plus an option to extend for up to a further period of 12 months be approved.