Children and Young People’s Participation and Advocacy Services

Tender description

Dorset County Council is seeking feedback from service providers for a potential tender for the realignment and re-commissioning of Children and Young People’s Participation and Advocacy Services. The key elements within the Participation service are likely to be: • Dorset Youth Council Enables/UK Youth Parliament • Young Inspectors • Young Researchers • Children in Care Council (currently known as Dorset Kidz) • An Independent Visitor’s service • Support to children in care to help with the recruitment of County Council staff • Support to children in care to help deliver training to all staff (currently known as Total Respect Group) • Support to children to help with the selection of foster carers The key elements within the Advocacy service are likely to be: • Advocacy service for children who are in care, • Advocacy service for children who are subject to child protection plans • Advocacy service for children in need • Advocacy service for children who have left care • Advocacy service to children who ‘stay put’ until the age of 21 years • Advocacy for children who are disabled • Advocacy service to children who wish to make a complaint to the Council This soft market testing exercise will help to inform our approach to the tender process that is likely to follow in the near future. Therefore please respond by email to Charlotte.chesters@dorsetcc.gov.uk by midday on 16th August 2016 to tell us: 1. If you are interested in this opportunity 2. Whether you would bid if all the services were together in one tender 3. Whether you would bid for one contract if in two separate tenders Keywords: Engagement, Young People, Children, Participation, Advocacy