Decision details

To seek approval to extend the Adult Weight Management Service for a further six months.

To approve the extension of the current Adult Weight Management Service contracts for Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby for a further 6 months (from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024) and the Children and Families Weight Management [pilot] Service is further extended for the same timeframe. This brings decisions for the future of the service in line with the Strategic Leisure Review for the future of leisure and well-being services. The decision was made in consultation with the Director of Public Health and Executive Member

The proposal has been approved to ensure the aligning of weight management transformation and Strategic Leisure Review planning. It is proposed that the current Adult Weight Management Service (AWMS) contract is extended for a further 6 months. The AWMS contract extensions can be funded from the current core allocated budget as planned.

In addition to the alignment of strategic leisure review timeframes, the extended 6 month period will allow more time for analysis of engagement insight and framing of a new service model.

AWMS provision contracts would only need to be extended for Selby, Scarborough and Ryedale. All other areas became ‘in-house’ from April 2023 and will be delivered under current allocated funding arrangements.

The original contracts, taken as individual lots, fell below the threshold (under the Light Touch Regime). The Harrogate lot was the only one that was above threshold. However, taken as a whole the contract values certainly exceed the threshold. Therefore, it is prudent to consider that these contracts fall within the scope of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“PCR 2015”).

The aspiration for future provision is an all-age service for North Yorkshire, which continues to further evolve in line with recent literature, weight-neutral and compassionate approaches, and with better intelligence on local communities that have the greatest health needs and/or have been under-represented in weight management service provision to date

Not to extend the AWMS contract was considered but without the proposed extension and maintaining the current approach to the Adult Weight Management Service, we would need to commence new procurement practices from June 2023 at a time when we are not clear what the future service requirements are.

To do nothing, the current contracts would expire leaving no service provision in the areas of Selby, Scarborough and Ryedale. Services would continue to be provided in the Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate and Richmondshire areas creating unequal access to services across the county.

The Children and Families pilot service programme would run to 30 June 2024. The pilot service will be evaluated but it is potentially too early prior to finalised review of the AWMS. A robust evaluation of the Children and Families pilot Service is required if we are to reshape the Adult Weight Management Service into all age.