Appendix D: Script for Contract Review meetings with Operators March & April 2022
Cllrs have decided on the model of procurement from 2023. This will be a DPS without reverse auction bidding and for routes to be tendered on a route-by-route basis. This will be done via Intend, and by email (for ad hoc routes).
Timeline
· You will then be able to join the DPS which will be open for 30 days. You should know if you have been successful in your application to the DPS by January 2023 at the latest.
· If you are successful, in February 2023 there will be another opportunity for training to remind you how to bid on routes via Intend. This will not be done via reverse auction bidding. You will asked to only bid on routes you know you can provide, over bidding will be discouraged.
· Routes will likely be out to bid on from May 2023 through to July 2023, awarding final routes by the end of the summer term 2023.
· You will be expected to arrange Introductions with families when you are awarded routes and all introductions must be made before the first date of the route starting. This has been requested by the Parent and Carers Council on behalf of families who rely on the service. The HTST will be monitoring and reporting on the % of introductions made, by operator, to September’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee. The HTST team can provide support setting up Introductions via Teams, only where this is the preference of families.
Feedback from Consultation in October 2021
Following the consultation session in October 2021 the following are being considered by BHCC.
· Whether there will be a continuation of the current annual negotiation of the Agreed Price increase, or if there will be an automatic annual inflationary increase
· Whether sub-contracting (with agreed written consent) will continue, or if this will be on an emergency basis only.
The following are topics of discussion by a Procurement Board which includes key internal Council colleagues, including Procurement and Licensing and representation from the Parent and Carers Council and Special schools.
o Consideration of deterrents to prevent overbidding and handing back route at the start of the contact which could cause delays and disruption to school starts and trigger school refusal for CYP
o There will be questions in the SQ about how Operators will support families to access live location data, e.g. to track their child’s journey to and from their educational setting
o There will likely be waiting time payments where there is prior written consent by the Service
o The Service will likely provide a £50 contribution to cleaning up CYP bodily fluids
o Where directly employed by the operator, it will be required that transport crew are paid the voluntary living wage, at a minimum
o All Transport Crew may be expected to sign up to the DBS update service. The cost of which will be borne by the operator
o First aid will not be administered by Transport Crew. They will be directed to call 999. There will likely be an amendment to the Blue Book in this regard
o All drivers working on a HTST contract, regardless of where they are licensed will be expected to have CCTV with (compulsory) audio in their cars, as is in the current contract. If they do not have this, they will not be permitted to work on a HTST contract. They must comply with the Brighton & Hove CCTV conditions.
o As is currently the case, all drivers, regardless of where they are licensed, will be expected to adhere to and comply with the BHCC Blue Book.
o All Transport crew must complete HTST mandatory training before taking up a route and undertake refresher training every 3 years
o If a Contractor terminates a contract within two years of the contract start, the Council may not accept any bid from the Contractor for any replacement contract the Council tenders within 6 months unless the Council gives prior approval.
o There will likely be an expectation that Transport Crew have a good command of the English language
o There will likely be a revised code of conduct for Transport Crew.