Decision details

Continued increases in demand for statutory services, both nationally, as well as in Bristol, is putting pressure on teams and placement budgets. For those children that are taken into care, life chances can be significantly impaired. The Families First transformation programme will make a step change so that services are more focused on earlier help and prevention, reducing the need for statutory interventions, including placements.
Bristol City Council has been working with Newton Europe Ltd, an external specialist consultancy, to undertake a diagnostic and produce a full business case that describes the objectives, scope, costs and benefits of undertaking the transformation programme.
The business case was approved at C

Bristol City Council have decided to spend up to £475,000 to commission Newton Europe Ltd to update the business case, develop detailed delivery plans and mobilise the Families First Programme.

1. Undertaking the mobilisation phase using internal transformation resources, but this option was dismissed because of the lack of specialist capacity and capability available.
2. Inviting proposals to undertake the mobilisation phase from other providers of consultancy services. This option was dismissed for two reasons:
a) Newton Europe Ltd is the market leading specialist in the Children’s Services sector and it was considered as very unlikely that another provider could undertake the work efficiently and effectively, particularly given that Newton had completed the diagnostic and supported the business case
b) Urgency around the need for having no delay in mobilising the programme to secure savings in 2025/26. It was decided that opening up the mobilisation phase to other providers would introduce a significant and unacceptable delay, given the Council’s financial position