Intensive Mentoring

Concepts

• health and social work
• maidstone
• kent county council cabinet
• intensive mentoring
• features of effective mentoring programmes
• mentoring
• mentors
• prior publication of a contract notice
• time limits
• young people

Location

Kent:

Description

On the 21 July 2022, The Kent County Council Cabinet, approved a decision to extend the Reconnect Programme to 31 March 2023 for specific areas of need, including counseling and mentoring. To engage in a procurement Commissioners would not be able to complete a tender process for such a short-term contract. Regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 Negotiated Procedure without prior publication of a Contract Notice insofar as is strictly necessary where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.

Total Quantity or Scope

Mentoring is delivered through Mentors (both paid and volunteers) who are positive role models who inspire, encourage and guide young people to achieve their potential. They offer personalised one-to-one support to help improve young people's lives. There are several features of effective mentoring programmes and relationships, including the duration of relationships, the quality of monitoring and support for mentors and allowing young people themselves to set the agenda. Some features of quality in mentoring relationships also may impact on outcomes, such as closeness, shared interests and role-modelling.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services

Legal Justification

The coronavirus outbreak has unleashed unprecedented economic and health consequences, the full implications of which are still far from known. Covid-19 was only discovered in December 2019, and as recently as February 2020, there were hopes that the virus could be effectively contained within this country to minimise its effects. Had Covid-19 not developed, the HeadStart programme would have ended and Reconnect funding would have neither been allocated or necessary. Reasons of extreme urgency The decision taken by Cabinet on the 21 July 2022 to extend the Reconnect Programme to 31 March 2023 does not allow enough time to reprocure a new service ahead of the contract end in August 2022 or offer a desirable contract length for providers to wish to enter a procurement process. Commissioners advise that it would be more advantageous to enter a direct award for the following reasons: In the light of the Covid-19 outbreak, there are serious concerns about the high demand for well-being services. Disrupting the current provision and creating a gap in service provision due to mobilisation would further exacerbate this situation. YLF have long established roots and rapport with the local communities they serve with a strong focus on their volunteer mentors being part of both their community support and outreach services. It is this that has enabled them to continue delivering meaningful services when their primary face to face methods of delivery have ceased to be possible. Should an alternative provider be sourced, replicating this without the established relationships, would be extremely challenging, particularly if Covid restrictions were to be reapplied in the new year. With the potential need for TUPE a seven-month contract is undesirable to the market. A range of providers were contacted in a soft market engagement to ascertain if 1) there was an interest in the contract and 2) if the organisations currently had capacity to undertake a formal procurement. Providers were unanimous in saying that capacity was a real issue to engage in a procurement with four out of the five saying at this time they would not be able to spare the resource for such a short-term prospect

Other Information

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