Health and social work services

Tender description

Cheshire East Council is seeking to commission a number of services aimed at disabled children and their families. Specifically within this tender it requires a range of community based short break services. These services are intended to be largely preventative in nature, offering support to avert family crisis, and form part of the Council's Early Help provision. The Social Value Act of 2012 states that the Council must ensure that, in procuring services, it will improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area. Cheshire East Council aims to continue to commission services that support the local market in services for disabled children, focusing on quality and outcomes whilst also ensuring that all services offered represent value for money for the people of Cheshire East. The Council is looking to provide a range of early help short breaks for disabled children (aged 0 to 18) and their families, resident in Cheshire East, in various settings and of various lengths ranging from a couple of hours to overnight or a weekend, provided after school at weekends and in school holidays. The services will be available at a time to suit the targeted individuals in order to provide flexible access. This will depend on the nature of the service being offered and will often include delivery out of standard working hours. All services will be operational from 1.9.2017. The tender process will be evaluated on price and quality and contracts will be awarded to tenderers who meet all the criteria outlined in the tender documents. Providers will be expected to deliver for a range of disabilities and ages, as specified in the tender response document, and include: — Regular activities weekly or fortnightly during term time and / or school holidays. Offered during weekends, after school and/or in school holidays, — Focus on providing to a group of young people who traditionally because of specific care needs, experience difficulties accessing universal and inclusive or other targeted provision, — Provide creative, inclusive, fun and positive activities to promote well being and independence, — Provide opportunities away from their primary carers, — Be accessible. Examples of this provision include: group based social or youth clubs, sports and activity sessions, drama and arts classes, residential breaks, social skills groups and 1:1 support and ‘Buddy’ schemes Providers will be expected to deliver support directly within one or more of the following localities (excluding residential activities which may take place out of borough): Local Area Partnership Area: 1 — Crewe; 2 — Congleton; 3 — Macclesfield; 4 — Wilmslow; 5 — Nantwich; 6 — Knutsford; 7 — Poynton. Providers should align with the service and approach adopted by Cheshire East Early Help Service. The ongoing Short Breaks Service will ensure that: — Disabled children have the same opportunities to develop and fulfil their potential as all children, — Families with disabled children get the support they need when they need it, where they need it, — Universal children's services are genuinely inclusive of disabled children, To achieve these, short break providers must demonstrate a commitment to ensuring: — All children with disabilities and their families participate equally in local community life, wherever possible accessing universal childcare facilities, leisure and recreational activities. — ‘Fair access’ to Short Breaks provision by children with disabilities. — Parents and carers are supported to become equal partners in making decisions about service development and priorities. — All disabled children are listened to, that their views are acted upon and that they are provided with choices. — Choice and personalisation is built in. — Alignment to the Council's vision of achieving value for money through delivery of the right services in the right way to those who need them by the best possible provider. — High quality provision which safeguards children and young people ensure all staff members deliver high quality services. — Continued training, quality supervision, and professional development to Where appropriate integrated service provision to ensure families receive a targeted, coordinated offer. — An assess and support approach, utilising the Common Assessment Framework, underpinned by robust safeguarding practice.