Health and social work services

Tender description

The Service will enable and support children and young people to live ordinary family lives, to have fun, try new activities, gain independence and make friends. The Service will provide families with a short break from their caring responsibilities. The Service shall primarily be provided for the following children and young people, aged 5 to 17, via referrals from the Council's Short Breaks Co-ordinator: — Children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and severe learning difficulties. — Children and young people with complex health needs, including those with physical and/or learning disabilities, those who require palliative care (continuing care) and those with associated sensory impairments. Complex health needs includes children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex and severe medical needs who may also have additional physical and/or sensory impairment. The Service shall also be available to the following people: — Young people with disabilities aged 18 to 25 — referrals for these young people will come from the Council's Community Learning Disability Service (CLDS). — Children and young people aged 5 to 17 who are young carers. A young carer is defined as a ‘person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for an adult’. This includes ‘providing practical or emotional support’ which is not ‘under or by virtue of a contract, or as voluntary work’ (Children and Families Act, 2014). Tower Hamlets Young Carers describe their caring responsibility as ‘taking on a practical and/or emotional caring responsibility that would be normally expected of an adult’. Referrals for young carers shall come from the Council's Children's Commissioning Team. The overall value of the business to be transacted via the Preferred Provider Framework will be: — Up to an estimated 220 000 GBP per annum for children and young people with disabilities aged 5 to 17; — Up to an estimated 41 000 GBP per annum for young people with disabilities aged 18 to 25; — Up to an estimated 20 000 GBP per annum for young carers. Inclusion in the Framework will not in itself guarantee any particular level of business to be transacted with each Service Provider, as this will be based on price and service user choice. Standard contractual terms and conditions will be agreed with each Service Provider prior to inclusion on the Framework. Individual referrals from the Council's Short Break Coordinator; the Council's Community Learning Disability Team (CLDS) or the Council's Children's Commissioning Team will subsequently be used to create a contract for service on an individual basis. The Preferred Provider Framework will be limited to a maximum of 2 service providers. Depending on the needs of the child or young person, the Service Provider will support a child/ young person on a 1:1 basis; or as part of a group on a ratio of 1 staff to 2 children/young people (1:2), or 1 staff to 3 children/ young people (1:3). The appropriate ratios for the child/ young person will be discussed and agreed as part of the referral from the Council. The Service Provider shall support the development of person centred approaches and at all times be focused on the outcomes of the service user. The Service Provider shall improve the outcomes for disabled children, young people and their families, by: — Extending children and young people's horizons by enabling them to have new experiences which are matched to their assessed needs, helping them to develop new skills and exercise choice, utilising the range of resources across the borough and surrounding areas to enhance their experiences. — Supporting and strengthening families by giving them a break from their caring responsibilities. — Offering age-appropriate, enjoyable and stimulating activities of the child or young person's choice in a safe setting. — Supporting children and young people to develop their social and emotional skills to enhance their ability to establish and maintain positive friendships and other 1-to-1 and group relationships outside their home. — Building children and young people's personal resilience so they can successfully deal with all life experiences and transitions. — Supporting children and young people to develop their confidence and to have increased aspirations. — Supporting children and young people to develop independence skills, positive self-identity and mutual respect and empathy.