Framework Agreement for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Assessments in the London Borough of Waltham Forest

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards is a legal framework for legitimately limiting the freedom of individuals who lack the requisite mental capacity to make independent decisions about their lives, specifically in the context of their health and care requirements. These safeguards only apply to those adults (people aged 18 or older) in receipt of care in hospitals or care homes who are subject to constraints on their liberty.

The Framework shall commence on 1st August 2024 and, shall continue up to and including 31st July 2027.

The Authority is seeking to appoint a maximum of three (3) providers who can deliver a good quality and efficient DoLS assessment service.

Framework Agreement Evaluation Criteria:

Organisations shall be experienced in providing similar services and shall also be required, as part of their Tender, to complete a Selection Questionnaire containing information about their economic and financial standing, technical capability and other general information. This information will be assessed to establish that the organisation is financially viable and technically capable of undertaking a service of the nature covered by the Framework. Also, as a pre-condition to their Tenders being evaluated, organisations will have to satisfy the mandatory and discretionary grounds for exclusion contained in the Selection Questionnaire.

The Authority carries out financial appraisals of all organisations that Tender for the Authority’s contracts to ensure that such organisations satisfy the Authority’s minimum standards of economic and financial standing. In this instance the Authority has set the following financial threshold for the Contract:

For organisations with an annual turnover of £25,000 or less a statement of cashflow forecast for the current year will be required. In addition, a letter will need to be provided from the bank outlining the current cash and credit position of the organisation.

All organisations with an annual turnover above £25,000 will be financially assessed as described in the Appendix 3: SQ Explanatory Document that forms part of the Invitation to Tender documentation.

The Authority retains discretion to exclude any organisation that fails to meet this standard.

Subject to satisfying the requirements of the Selection Questionnaire, appointment to the Framework shall be based on the most economically advantageous Tenders received from those organisations that submit a Tender. Such Tenders shall be evaluated in accordance with the following Evaluation Criteria: -

• Quality 65%
• Price 35%

A full breakdown of the Evaluation Criteria is contained in the Tender Documents.

Award of Call-Off Contracts:

Organisations are advised that whilst it is the intention of the Authority to utilise the Framework as the primary source of services, the Authority reserves the right to obtain the service from alternative sources should this represent best value. Further, appointment of an organisation to the Framework does not guarantee any minimum level of income for the organisation or that the organisation will be awarded any Call-Off Contract during the Framework Period. All Call-Off Contracts shall be awarded in accordance with the procedures detailed in the Tender Documents the Specification and the Conditions of Contract.

Organisations shall be aware that any Call-Off Contract awarded prior to the expiration of the Framework may continue beyond the expiration of the Framework Period. In such circumstances the organisation will be bound by the terms of the Framework and the Call-Off Contract, including but not limited to with regard to the price for the Call-Off Contract, until such time as the Call-Off Contract expires or is terminated by the Authority