Decision details

To waiver the current contract with Civica for a 12 months period from 01/04/2021 to 31/03/2022 whilst a new solution is sought.

Civica APP and FSS Net is used by a number of Services across the Council managing a broad array of business functions; covering food/health inspections, licensing, sampling, incident recording, service requests, complaints and prosecutions. The software also performs a vital function in reporting to several professional external bodies for regulatory purposes such as DEFRA, Food Standards Agency and the key report presented for local authority enforcement monitoring systems (LAEMS) annually.

The Licensing section provides licences under the Gambling Act 2005, Licensing Act 2003, Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 and the Town Police Clauses Act 1847. This enables the Service to receive and process applications for a variety of licences with our main priority being the protect and safety of the public and satisfying the licensing objectives. They manage a variety of customers including the public, Elected Members, External organisations and partners, taxi drivers and operators, all licensed premises, sexual entertainment venues, personal licence holders, scrap metal dealers and collectors and all gambling establishments, street collectors and house to house collectors.

Safer Neighbourhood Service use it as a case management system to record and triage caseloads relating to antisocial behaviour, reducing the level of violent crime relating to drugs and alcohol, preventing people from engaging in criminal activity and defusing community tensions. The software also provides a solution for managing private sector housing standards and environmental issues of concern to local communities.

Berneslai Homes utilise CIVICA as part of their lettings and anti-social behaviour processes to assist in maintaining sustainable communities on estates they manage on behalf of Barnsley Council. The system is interrogated to see if there is anything that may influence the letting of properties to applicants with a history of anti-social behaviour and to assist in the preparation of legal proceedings to enforce tenancy regulations to protect the health and wellbeing of the wider community.

Civica APP and FSS Net is nearing end of life and support will cease in August 2022. There is a need to extend the support and maintenance contract for a further twelve months from 1st April 2021 until 31st March 2022 at a cost of £49,603 to allow Services to source and implement a new solution aligned to their business.

To move functionality to a case management system that is to be procured through a competitive tender route, it will not be possible to undertake this exercise and succeed prior to 2020/21 when the contract ends for Civica APP. To extend through the waiver process for a further 12 months will be required to ensure the Council’s respective Services undertake the relevant migration work or procure an alternative solution before this product APP goes end of life in 2022.

None.