PCD 1680 Language Line - Interpreting Services

1. This paper seeks approval for a Contract value uplift, Initiation of framework procurement process and Authorisation to award a new contract for telephone interpreting services.  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to: 

1. Approve a contract value uplift of £1.11m from £2.29m to £3.4m to fund the extension of the existing contract to August 2025. 

2.  Approve budget re-allocation of c£1.05m within Operational Support Services (OSS) to cover expected additional contract spend up to August 2025.  

3. Approve to initiate a new procurement process on the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Framework for the provision of telephone interpreting services and approval for delegated authority to the Director of Commercial Services to award a new next generation contract of c£5.2m for 4 years (3+1-year) in 2025 on the CCS framework. The contract value is based on an estimate of future demand for the 4 years (3+1year) of up to £1m per year plus 20% contingency and additional headroom for the purpose of contract notice. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background.  

1. London is one of the most multicultural cities in the World and is significantly more diverse in comparison to the rest of the UK.  

2. The telephone Interpreting service provides quick voice and video interpretation and translation services in multiple languages which enables the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to connect remotely with professional interpreters at the earliest opportunity to facilitate communication across language barriers and enables officers to assess and make quick decisions around the situation they are dealing with. 

3. Due to the improved access to the service for officers and staff using technology, tourists returning to London after the COVID pandemic and increase in refugees arriving in London, particularly following the war in Ukraine and Afghan relocation scheme, demand has increased gradually each year and is now exceeding original forecasts. 

4. The current contract that was awarded in 2021 for three years with an optional one – year extension (3+1year), expires at the end of August 2024.   

2. Issues for consideration. 

1. Due to high demand for the service, initiation of a new framework procurement process on the CCS framework for a new contract is required to start this year, to ensure continuity of service beyond August 2025, taking into account the high demand not previously foreseen. 

2. The increased demand is due to the effectiveness of the service, which gets positive feedback from users. The service presents significant benefits to both the front-line officer and the communities the MPS serves, by having early deployment of an interpreter 

3. The ability of MPS officers and staff to communicate with victims, offenders and the public in general is of key importance to the Mayor’s Police & Crime Plan and to the MPS New Met for London Plan. Through building relationships and gaining trust the MPS can ascertain information, provide community confidence and reassure victims of crime at the earliest opportunity. 

3. Financial Comments.  

1. The proposal seeks approval for a contract value uplift of £1.11m from £2.29m to £3.40m to fund the one-year extension to the of the current Langue Line contract to August 2025. 

2. The paper also seeks approval to award a new contract of £5.2m on the CCS framework after successful completion of the procurement process. The contract value of £5.2m is based on future forecast spending of £1m annually, and a 20% contingency to cover any potential costs, plus additional headroom in the contract notice. 

3. The cultural services team will look at ways to maintain levels of demand by monitoring information to identify trends and review biggest areas of demand to ensure spend is within budgets and contract value thresholds. 

4. Legal Comments. 

1. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (“MOPAC”) is a contracting authority as defined in the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”).  All awards of, and modifications to, public contracts for goods and/or services valued at £214,904 or above shall be procured in accordance with the Regulations. This report confirms both the value of the original contract, and the proposed modification exceeds this threshold. 

2. Regulation 72 permits MOPAC to modify a contract in limited circumstances. Specifically, regulation 72(1)(b) provides MOPAC may modify a contract where:  

• It is not possible to change contractor due to technical or economic reasons; and  

• To change contractor would cause MOPAC to suffer significant inconvenience or substantial costs duplication. 

• Provided the value of the modification does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract.  This report confirms the above are met. 

3. Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has delegated authority to approve all unforeseen variations and extensions to contracts with an original value of £500,000 or above, when the variation or extension is greater than 10% of the original value and/or is for a period of more than 12 months. 

4. Paragraph 4.13 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime has delegated authority to approve all requests to go out to tender for contracts valued at £500,000 or above. Recommendations 2 and 3 can be lawfully approved on the basis of the information contained in this report. 

5. Commercial issues. 

1. The proposal seeks to procure a new service to continue on from the current service that ends in August 2025. Commercial services have reviewed two frameworks to use for the procurement process and the preference is to use the Lot 1 National Managed Service on the CCS framework which has seven suppliers. 

2. Lot 1 provides a managed service throughout the United Kingdom with common services such as; 

• Spoken and unspoken translation, transcription and ancillary services 

• Spoken telephone and spoken and unspoken video interpreting 

• Spoken and unspoken face to face interpreting. 

3. The MPS assure that the CCS Core Terms and Conditions fully meet the MPS requirements and are complaint with relevant legislation and the schedules will be tailored to meet specific MPS requirements. 

6. Equality Comments. 

1. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.  

2. The MPS assure that the business case underwent a full Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) which identified no negative impact to any individual safeguarded by a protected characteristic. Bidders will be assessed on how they deliver social value outcomes.  

7. GDPR and Data Privacy 

1. The MPS is subject to the requirements and conditions placed on it as a 'State' body to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights and the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018. Both legislative requirements place an obligation on the MPS to process personal data fairly and lawfully to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals. 

2. Under Article 35 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Section 57 of the DPA 2018, Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) become mandatory for organisations with technologies and processes that are likely to result in a high risk to the rights of the data subjects.  

3. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities. 

4. The Service does not use personal identifiable data of members of the public, so there is no current GDPR issues. However, should the service use personal data from members for the public in future, DPIA’s will be completed. 

8. Background/supporting papers. 

1. MPS Paper – Telephone Interpreting Services.