Award

The Provision of Support to Carers

  • Hertfordshire County Council

UK5: Transparency notice - Procurement Act 2023 - view information about notice types

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-012788

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04fca1 (view related notices)

Published 3 April 2025, 12:46pm



Scope

Reference

HCC2516706

Description

There is a statutory duty on the Council to provide support for carers under various legislation under the Care Act 2014 and to work preventatively to support carers' wellbeing. The provision of Support to Carers contract is intended to provide a countywide, preventative carers support service for adult carers. This includes information and advice, learning and training opportunities, peer mentoring, support for carers to speak up / be involved in co-production, outreach to unidentified carers, the Carers Passport Discount Card, carer awareness training for health and social care staff, and an overall strategic partnership role with health and social care organisations in the county.


Contract 1

Supplier

Contract value

  • £1,857,000 including VAT

Above the relevant threshold

Earliest date the contract will be signed

15 April 2025

Contract dates (estimated)

  • 16 April 2025 to 15 April 2026
  • 1 year

Main procurement category

Services

CPV classifications

  • 85320000 - Social services

Contract locations

  • UKH23 - Hertfordshire

Participation

Particular suitability

Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)


Other information

Conflicts assessment prepared/revised

Yes


Procedure

Procedure type

Direct award

Special regime

Light touch

Direct award justification

Extreme and unavoidable urgency

There is a statutory duty on the Council to provide support for carers under various legislation under the Care Act 2014 and to work preventatively to support carers' wellbeing. The Council has a longstanding contract with Carers in Hertfordshire who operate locally within the Council area. This contract is proposed to provide a further year, There is a specific plan in place to re-procure the contract. We will aim to go to tender by October 2025 to allow for any mobilisation period of a new provider. The incumbent provider (Carers in Hertfordshire) is a long-standing provider of these services and has built up an extensive database of unpaid carers who they support. This database is essential for successful delivery of the services, and another provider could not establish this in time to deliver the services during the year's contract term that is proposed.

Furthermore, Carers in Hertfordshire have extensive partnership arrangements with health, social care and voluntary sector agencies for the identification and referral of unpaid carers, which again a competitor could not establish in sufficient time to deliver the services during the proposed contract period. Finally, specific aspects of the services provided have been developed by Carers in Hertfordshire in a unique way, such as the programme of training and learning opportunities and the Carers Passport discounts scheme with a unique network of local businesses. These again could not be replicated in a sufficient time to deliver the required services during the proposed contract term. There is a requirement to ensure that existing arrangements continue uninterrupted so that carers receive ongoing preventative support.


Supplier

CARERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE

  • Companies House: 04131036
  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PVPB-2198-JXCR

The Red House, 119 Fore Street

Hertford

SG14 1AX

United Kingdom

Region: UKH23 - Hertfordshire

Contract 1


Contracting authority

Hertfordshire County Council

  • Public Procurement Organisation Number: PWJT-5264-WYMY

County Hall

Hertford

SG13 8DQ

United Kingdom

Region: UKH23 - Hertfordshire

Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government