1.      that the contract for an integrated Social Care and Finance IT system be awarded to System C (Liquid Logic) and commencing in March 2025 (subject to contract agreement) for a 5-year period, be approved;

2.      that a direct award is made to Channel 3 consultancy to be extended for a one-year period, as our Strategic Partner, be approved; and

3.      that a procurement exercise for the provision of technical support resources be approved and any subsequent contract to be awarded in line with paragraph 1.3 of the Officer Scheme of Delegation.

Torbay Council retains the statutory duties in relation to Adult Social Care and as such needs to provide a new IT solution for use in Adult Social Care to continue to fulfil its obligations.

The alternative options were:

Do nothing – this option was discounted because the Civica (Paris) contract ends in December 2026 with health services were moving away from Civica (Paris) in early 2026.  The TFM system was built on older technology and as such was approaching the end of its usable life.

Utilise another solution within Torbay Council – this option was discounted.  The only solution functionally viable was the Children’s Case Management solution provided by System C, however the contract for this could not be extended for use by Adult Social Care Services.

Utilise another solution within Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) – this option was discounted.  The available option was the newly procured Epic system being introduced into TSDFT during 2026; however, this was not aligned to Children’s Services and as such had not been considered further.

Competitive procurement either through a framework or through a full Find a Tender Service (FTS) process.  This option had been disregarded in favour of the preferred option.

Direct award to supplier that strategically fits with Torbay Council’s Adult Social Care Services and Torbay Council’s Children’s Social Care Services was the preferred option.

This decision will come into force and may be implemented on 3 March 2025 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

Torbay Council require a new Adult Social Care case management system capable of supporting the needs of the statutory and evolving Adult Social Care Service.

Across Torbay a transformational approach was needed to the planning and delivering care based on lower cost and improved outcomes.  The Adult Social Care Case Management System update was part of a series of system-wide transformation programmes across social care and communities designed to improve the experience of our citizens and deliver improvements to the Torbay care system.

The system would bring together existing care management arrangements with financial, safeguarding and commissioning requirements to provide real time information to enable us to plan delivery and commission care and support for vulnerable people across the Torbay.

At the meeting, Councillor Tranter proposed and Councillor Bye seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously by the Cabinet, as set out above.

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