Introduction
Guidance on the procurement of care and support services has been jointly developed by the Scottish Procurement Directorate (SPD) and the Joint Improvement Team (JIT) in consultation with a Reference Group with representation from all interested parties.
"This guidance has been endorsed by the organisations on the Reference Group. All agree that the effective implementation of the guidance is essential to deliver improvements in the procurement of care and support services. This partnership approach will be vital to the delivery of strong care and support services across Scotland - there is a responsibility on commissioners, providers and the people who receive services to work together to get this right."
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth,
Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health and Sport
Councillor Douglas Yates, COSLA
September 2010
The Guidance
The guidance has been developed in recognition that the procurement of care and support services requires special consideration within a public body's overall approach to the procurement of goods, works and services. In some instances, social care principles may not appear to fit within the procurement rules: there are apparent tensions between public bodies' duty to respond to individuals' needs and wishes and the re-tendering of services. This guidance aims to assist all staff involved in the procurement of care and support services to make decisions that comply with all applicable polices, European Union and domestic law and human rights obligations.
All staff involved in the procurement of care and support services, including commissioning and contracts officers, care managers, legal officers and finance officers, should familiarise themselves with the guidance. Public bodies are expected to review their local policies and procedures for the procurement of care and support services to ensure that they are consistent with the guidance and the applicable law. A summary of the key actions required by public bodies to implement the guidance is included in Chapter 12.
Links
Links to the guidance and a summary of the guidance are provided below:
The guidance has been circulated to stakeholders under cover of Scottish Procurement Policy Notice 8/2010:
Draft guidance was published for public consultation in January 2010:
Implementing the guidance
A Development Group has been established with responsibility for supporting implementation of the guidance. The Development Group will develop and agree a forward work programme which identifies areas in which public bodies require further support; it will also promote the development and dissemination of good practice. It is critical that implementation of the guidance is supported by appropriate training for all staff involved in the procurement of care and support services.