Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD1475
Date signed:
Decision by: Jeff Jacobs , Head of Paid Service
Executive summary
The London Healthy Workplace Charter programme recognises and rewards employers for investing in workplace health and wellbeing.
• The GLA carried out an open tender process in August 2014 for a programme delivery partner until March 2016. Affinity Health at Work secured this contract.
The GLA now wishes to enter into a new contract with Affinity Health at Work to support the delivery and expansion of the charter until March 2017. This will ensure consistency of support from a provider where quality and value for money has already been assured and will maintain and develop the effective relationships that have already been built between Affinity and other stakeholders.
Decision
That the Executive Director approves:
• Expenditure of up to £29,997 to enter into a new contract with Affinity Health at Work from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 to allow Affinity Health at Work to continue to support delivery and expansion of the London Workplace Well-being Charter
• The exemption from section 4 of the GLA’s Contract and Funding Code and the requirement to seek three or more competitive quotations for the contract on the basis that it is the continuation of an existing piece of work that cannot be separated.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 The London Healthy Workplace Charter is a Mayoral programme that recognises and rewards employers for investing in workplace health and wellbeing. It was piloted from 2012-2014. Under MD1495 approval was given to fund the expansion of the programme with £250,000 over a two year period (April 2015 – March 2017). This was subsequently approved by the GLA’s Investment and Performance Board.
1.2 The London Healthy Workplace Charter went through an open tender process in August 2014 to procure consultancy support to continue to deliver the programme. Affinity Health at Work successfully secured a contract for £17,000 to deliver this work based on the value for money they offered and the strength of their proposal to meet the project specification. In April 2015 they were awarded a contract for a further £22,425 to support the expansion of the programme during 2015/16.
1.3 To ensure the continued delivery and expansion of the programme the health policy team now wishes to procure additional expertise and support in 2016/17 to the value of £29,997. Affinity Health at Work is considered to be the most appropriate provider for this piece of work on the basis that it not possible to separate delivery in 2015/16 from delivery in 2016/17. In particular:
1.3.1 Affinity is in the process of supporting thirteen employers through the charter application process and it is likely that these organisations will need support until October 2016.
1.3.2 Affinity has developed strong working relationships with the volunteer verifiers network and is in the process of reviewing and quality assuring this group. This is a sensitive piece of work and demands knowledge and understanding of both the programme and the individuals involved.
1.3.3 Affinity is in the process of developing workshop materials to promote the Charter more widely to SMEs which the GLA wishes them to deliver in 2016/17.
1.4 On the basis of the grounds set out in paragraph 1.3 above, an exemption from the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code is being sought on the basis of Affinity Health at Work’s previous involvement the project and the continuation of the work in the next financial year cannot be separated. Affinity Health at Work are best placed to deliver the services.
1.5 The budget for this procurement has already been agreed by the Investment and Performance Board on 15 January 2015 with an overall annual programme budget of £125,000 for 2015/16 and 2016/17.
1.6 The new contract will include a one month break clause.
2.1 To enter into a new contract with Affinity Health at Work to deliver workplace health consultancy services to the London Healthy Workplace Charter during 2016/17. This will include:
- Facilitation of employer verification days
- Delivery of training days for volunteer verifiers assessing employers against charter standards
- Facilitation of volunteer verifier network meetings
- Verification of online charter applications at commitment level
- Expert advice and support to employers seeking charter accreditation
- Delivery of a workshop(s) to SMEs interested in signing up to the charter
2.2 Entering into a new contract with Affinity Health at Work will help to ensure that the London Healthy Workplace Charter continues to expand and thrive. It will ensure consistency in support from a provider where quality and value for money has already been assured and will maintain and develop effective relationships that have already been built between Affinity and the key delivery partners. It is an efficient use of project resource and GLA policy officer time.
3.1 The London Health Workplace Charter is an important tool in delivery of the Mayor’s Health Inequalities Strategy, specifically Objective 4: Health, work and wellbeing, which commits the Mayor to:
• “invest in health at work, promoting equalities and building both organisational and employee capacity for mental and physical well-being”
• “promote effective ways to improve retention and in-work support for carers and people living with illness or impairments”.
3.2 By definition, the London Health Workplace Charter is targeted at people in work. However, by promoting flexible, secure working conditions and good quality jobs, the Charter framework contributes to supporting more people to stay in, or return to, work (including carers and people with long-term health conditions).
4.1 Risks
The risk for delivery of this piece of work is considered low as the delivery and expertise of the provider has already been assured, the project has already been successfully piloted including establishment of strong relationships with delivery partners and the deliverables are clearly defined.
4.2 Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
The London Healthy Workplace Charter is a leading Mayoral action in response to the London Health Commission report Better Health for London (2014) which recommends that the Mayor should encourage all employers to promote the health of Londoners and cites the London Healthy Workplace Charter as a delivery tool. In addition it is a key delivery programme for the Mayor of London’s Health Inequalities Strategy.
4.3 Impact assessments and consultations
A Health Inequalities Impact Assessment was carried out on the programme in 2013.
The development of the London Healthy Workplace Charter has been based on extensive stakeholder consultation, involving boroughs’ public health and environmental health teams; employers and employer representative networks, expert advisors, the GLA and Public Health England. This has shaped the delivery model and helped to establish the necessary delivery networks. This stakeholder engagement will continue as an integral part of the programme throughout delivery.
5.1 Approval is being sought for the GLA to enter into a new contract with Affinity Health at Work from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 at a value of £29,997 to continue to support delivery and expansion of the London Workplace Well-being Charter.
5.2 This contract will be exempt from the requirement to seek three or more competitive quotations as it is the continuation of an existing piece of work. Affinity Health at Work originally acquired the contract in 2014-15 through an open tender process.
5.3 The revenue cost will be funded from the expansion of The London Healthy Workplace Charter funds (approved in MD1495 for a programme of £250,000 over a two year period (April 2015 – March 2017).
5.4 The Health Team within the Communities & Intelligence Directorate will be responsible for managing this project.
6.1 Sections 1 – 4 of this report indicate that:
6.1.1 the decisions requested of the director (in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code) fall within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation and social development in Greater London; and
6.1.2 in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people (further details on equalities are set out in section 3 above) and to the duty under section 149 of the 2010 Act to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not ;
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
• consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 Section 4.1 of the GLA’s Contract and Funding Code (the “Code”) requires the GLA to call off the services required from an accessible framework. However the Director may approve an exemption from this requirement under section 5 of the Code upon certain specified grounds. One of those grounds is that the approval of the exemption is on the basis that the previous involvement in the project and the continuation of that work cannot be separated from the previous work. Officers have indicated at paragraph 1.4 of this report that this ground applies and that proposed contracts affords value for money.
On this basis the director may approve the proposed exemption if satisfied with the content of this report.
6.3 Officers should ensure that appropriate documentation, is put in place and executed between the GLA and Affinity Health at Work before the commencement of any services.