Social work and related services

Tender description

The purpose of this notice is to assess market interest in working with Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council to provide advocacy services in Flintshire and Wrexham, in accordance with their new statutory duties. Denbighshire County Council have also expressed an interest in joining the processes at a later date. Please see the PIN notice document that is attached to this notice for full details. Both councils are seeking to commission advocacy services in accordance with the requirements in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and the associated Code of Practice. The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 brings advocacy service providers within the social services regulation and inspection regime. In addition, "A Place to Call Home” report gave a review into the Quality of Life and Care of Older People living in Care Homes in Wales. The role of independent advocacy and its importance is neither fully understood nor recognised and there are significant variations in the availability of access to advocacy services. There is little evidence that independent advocacy services are being actively promoted within care homes. The ability of third sector organisations to deliver independent advocacy services is often affected by unstable and unreliable funding. Both councils are working with the Golden Thread Advocacy programme, funded by Welsh Government. This work stream will review existing commissioning arrangements for advocacy for all adults over the age of 18 and consider the implications of the new legislation for the 2017-18 commissioning round. Once completed this will inform and develop the new advocacy contracts going forward from April 2018.