Decision details

The renewal of the contract is necessary to:
• Ensure continuity of service provision at the premises.
• Align the underlease arrangements with the Council’s head lease, which expires on 6 April 2031.
• Enable Depaul UK to continue to claim the supported housing rent element through Housing Benefit.
• Maintain the building’s operational status as a 24-hour supported accommodation provision.

RESOLVED:
1. To authorise an exemption under rule 21 of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) , in respect of the procurement procedures, which must be followed under rule 4 of the CPRs, based on contract value.
2.To approve a direct award of a contract for the ABEN Phase 5 year 4, which would commence on the 1st of April 2026 and expire on 30th September 2026.
3. to approve the granting of a of a new 6-month contract for ABEN Phase 5 year 4 from the 1st of April 2026 – 30th September 2026, for A Bed Every Night project

Option 1 Part A: approve an exemption in respect of rule 4 of the Contract Procurement Rules by utilising rule 21 of the CPRs, and
Part B: Subject to approval of the recommendation under Part A of Option 1, that the Delegated Officer for Part B approves:
(a) the direct award of and enter into a new contract with DePaul UK for the provision of ABEN Service from 1st of April 2026 to 30th September 2026 at a value of £122,500 (this includes a £15,000 uplift for National Insurance and Real Living Wage increases).
(b) an underlease of the building at 10 Sharples Hall Street and any other necessary units to DePaul UK from 28th of February 2026 to 30th September 2026, aligning with the council head lease's expiration on 6th of April 2031.
(c) the augmentation of the scope of the recently expired contract by incorporating four more bed spaces into the specification for the proposed contract, elevating the total ABEN spaces to 33. This expansion demonstrates the commitment to supporting the Councils commitment to ending rough sleeping and enhancing accommodation options for those in need.
Option 2: Do not approve the proposed exemption under rule 21 of the CPRs, end the external delivery of the ABEN Service and deliver the service in-house (Not Recommended): This would cause instability for the residents, and the Council also does not have the staffing capacity to deliver in-house and would have to rely on agency staff at additional cost. There would be a significant gap in service whilst the council re-procured the services.
Option 3: Do Nothing (Not Recommended): Ceasing to deliver ABEN would cause reputational damage to the Council and increase rough sleeping in the Borough, which would also go against the Council’s own Ending Rough Sleeping Plan and directives from MHCLG.

Options 2 and 3

None