Education and training services

Tender description

The Service required will cover placements of children and young people in these settings for education services in either day or residential settings made directly on behalf of the Council. Services will be required for: — day placements for pre-16 Learners, — residential placements for pre-16 Learners, — day placements for post-16 Learners, — residential placements for post-16 Learners. Service Providers must be able to meet one or more of the following primary needs, which may include challenging behaviours in all categories: — cognition and Learning Needs (a range of specific, moderate, severe and profound), — social, emotional and mental health needs, — communication and interaction (speech, language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder), — physical and sensory needs (visual impairment, hearing impairment, multiple sensory impairment, physical difficulty). Round 1 application deadline is the 16.4.2018. Applications are invited for inclusion on the DPS that will support the placement of Leaners at independent and non-maintained schools or special pre and post 16 organisations. The successful Applicants will be awarded a position on the DPS and if successful in the Contract Opportunity Award process be responsible for providing the Service directly to the Learner. The DPS will be made up of DPS Providers that will be able to provide the Service to pre and post 16 Learners, up to the age of 25 years. This Dynamic Purchasing System will enable the Council to procure a sufficient supply of suitable placements for Learners needing special educational requirements. The Service required will cover placements of children and young people in these settings for education services in either day or residential settings made directly on behalf of the Council. Services will be required for: — day placements for pre-16 Learners, — residential placements for pre-16 Learners, — day placements for post-16 Learners, — residential placements for post-16 Learners. Service Providers must be able to meet one or more of the following primary needs, which may include challenging behaviours in all categories. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the suitability questionnaire. The DPS Provider list and access to Contract Opportunities will operate electronically via the EastMidTender Portal. The DPS will operate for an initial period of 2 years, with 3 further potential annual extensions of 12 months available. The duration or termination of the DPS will not affect Individual Placement Agreements awarded via the DPS. An EU Light Touch procurement tender exercise which is compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 will be undertaken to select providers for the DPS which will offer access to pre-approved DPS Providers who can be appointed using an efficient and streamlined procurement process; therefore ensuring the Council obtains value for money whilst enabling objectives to be achieved. For clarity, this DPS is not a full DPS as defined under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Regulation 34, but is a modified version. This is because Section 7 — social and health care services (the Light Touch Regime as allowed under Regulations 74 to 77) are not subject to the full regulations of the procurement procedures set out in the Regulations. The Council will be the user of the DPS, however there may be occasions when other procurement routes are selected for some specific requirements. There will be no obligation on the Council to enter into IPA's with the DPS Providers nor will any guarantee be given as to the quantity or regularity of IPA's to be made. For these reasons, no guarantees of business value or volume can be given. Applicants will have to form their own views as to the potential for such an arrangement. Applicants must meet the minimum required qualifying criteria for entry onto the DPS and maintain the requisite criteria throughout the DPS Agreement Term. There are no other restrictions on who can or cannot join the DPS and Applicants may apply to join at any time during the lifetime of the DPS as entry remains open, other than if the Council closes the DPS for any period. The first tranche (round 1) of Applicants will be appointed to the DPS by the beginning of 1.5.2018 and it is intended that Contract Opportunities will commence from that date. After round 1, the Council will open each round for a calendar month and assessment of the applications received for that round will take place by the end of the following calendar month. See procurement documents for further information.