To approve the direct award to Aspire Living of a contract for the provision of daytime opportunities for learning disabled people at St Owen’s Centre in Hereford.

The current provider is terminating its contract early on 15 May 2017.  It is necessary to secure the service in its current form to meet assessed needs and there is insufficient time to conduct a competitive procurement process. A direct award is the only viable option and during a recent soft market testing, only one provider, Aspire Living, expressed specific interest in operating the St Owen’s Centre service. Aspire has the local capacity and credibility to provide the service.

To undertake a full competitive procurement process to award the contract. This option is not recommended as there is insufficient time to procure a new service to provide continuity. The contract with the existing provider will end on 15 May 2017. To delay would leave learning disabled people without a service. To not provide this function would leave the council in breach of its duty to meet the eligible assessed needs of vulnerable adults and so open to legal challenge and reputational damage.

Not to re-commission the service. This would involve leaving the eligible assessed needs of vulnerable learning disabled people unmet, which is not recommended as it would result in the risks identified above, only for a longer period.