Leeds under fire over procurement

The recommendation came in a review, carried out by the authority’s scrutiny board for environment and neighbourhoods. The review was prompted by concerns over the way a new £2.6 million council-wide contract for temporary accommodation had been handled.

Residents and councillors had questioned the suitability and financial viability of one of the [unnamed] bidders for a new contract for the supply and management of temporary accommodation in early 2009.

The report said a person connected to a prospective provider had been served with a notice by the council’s planning department for carrying out unauthorised works and had lost their appeal against the enforcement notice. The council’s planning department had not passed the information to council officers undertaking the temporary accommodation procurement.

The company later failed to satisfy the pre-qualification questionnaire process and so was not awarded a contract. But the report questioned why the firm had been considered as a prospective provider at all.

‘Our review has highlighted a need to improve data sharing internally to ensure that all local intelligence about a particular company/person is taken into account during the procurement process,’ it said.

‘In relation to housing contracts, we would particularly emphasise the importance of sharing data with planning enforcement and environmental health.’

The review also found that the council’s environment and neighbourhoods directorate had requested two extensions to the deadline of its old temporary accommodation contract because it had not completed its competitive tendering exercise for the new contract before the old one expired.

The council had sought to ‘waiver/invoke particular contract procedure rules to enable them to enter into a framework contract and secure temporary accommodation provision’ while the competitive tender exercise was carried out, the report added.

The report, published on Monday, said the council’s procurement department should prompt contract managers in the authority to review contracts at least a year before they expire.

It added that the council should learn from the way it managed its Supporting People contracts for supported housing, which are subject to quarterly monitoring.

The report added that the council should consider asking councillors and officers to formally register any business or private interests and relationships with current and potential contractors.

The council did not wish to comment on the report.

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