Community Equipment Service 2025 - Westminster City Council (UK7)

The urgent action required is to ensure the needs of vulnerable residents can be met and the Council fulfils statutory requirements.

The Council is required to maintain access to the Services for all eligible residents and there is a legal duty under the Care Act 2014 for the Services to be delivered.

Officers have identified the need for urgent action to be taken to maintain the delivery of the Service and to ensure that vulnerable residents can continue to access the required provision.

The Council has directly awarded a contract to the identified supplier under Section 41 of the Procurement Act 2023.

In relation to the urgency justification under Schedule 5 of the Procurement Act 2023, this justification applies for the following reasons:

• The goods and services to be supplied under the proposed contract are strictly necessary to ensure the Council complies with its statutory duties.
• The situation has arisen due to unforeseeable events outside of the Council's control. In the circumstances the Council must act urgently and there is not sufficient time to carry out a competitive tendering procedure.
• The urgency is unavoidable and was not attributable to any act or omission of the council.

The need to ensure continuity of services to vulnerable service users provides grounds to rely on this justification and direct award a contract to the identified supplier.