Local authorities in England have a statutory duty to plan for the provision of certain home-based services, including the provision of disability aids and "community equipment", to meet the assessed eligible needs of service users who are ordinarily resident in their area. The supply of Community Equipment is a statutory duty under:

• Care Act 2014 (Adult Social Care only)

• Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970

• Children and Families Act 2014

• National Health Service Act 2006

• Health and Safety at Work act 1974 and Regulations

The provision of community equipment to eligible children and adults is vital in helping to achieve efficiency and cost-effectiveness across a range of other local authority and health authority services, and to help achieve local and health authority strategic objectives.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (“the Authority”) invites bids for the provision of Community Equipment.

This involves a wide range of activities such as the storage, supply, distribution, repair, collection, recycling, maintenance and refurbishment of a range of community equipment.

The Authority is seeking to establish a single-supplier framework agreement (“the Framework”) which will be available for the Authority and local authorities who are existing or may become future members of the London Community Equipment Consortium. Further details on the Framework users is set out in II.2.11.

The key operational service requirements of the Framework are as follows:

• Placing both the Service Users and Prescribers at the heart of the service to meet their outcomes

• Move to standard 6 day / 12 hours per day operation

• Right First Time - All items delivered and installed on time (without reason coding) in full with all components, in a clean, safe state that is fit for purpose.

• Reduced dependency of using reason codes as an authority to fail and/or late delivery

• Repairs are effectively triaged to reduce expensive emergency call outs. All repairs will come with a 3-month warranty as a minimum.

• Offer a range of maintenance solutions, which includes an innovative approach to repair, re-use and re-cycling with a good level of general ongoing maintenance coverage. Maintenance should include installation, regular pre-planned maintenance checks (PPM), breakdown cover, repairs, emergency call out, out of hours support and decontamination

• A life cycle model to ensure equipment usage is maximized during its useful economic life. Building upon current equipment review processes, balancing recycling costs with repair costs.

• Focus on recycling and reducing landfill, with the target of most of the service to be carbon neutral during the lifetime of the contract.

• Effective stock management system with real time reporting and full visibility and tracking of equipment.

• Separate Service Level Agreement with third parties for management of non-standard stock items. These will be supported with partnership protocols outlined in the contract to provide express terms and parameters, which will enable a holistic partnership approach between the Consortium, provider and wider supply chain to meet challenges and explore opportunities for improved working and outcomes.

• Implementation of London Living Wage for provider's staff.

• Move to an electric fleet, reduce mileage by maximizing effective route planning and the number of journeys made.

• Robust remedies for poor performance for call off contracts and overarching framework contracts.

• Work dynamically with the Consortium, adapting to the changing Community Equipment and Health and Social Care environments, finding agile, innovative solutions to meet Service Users' needs and make efficiencies for the Consortium.