Health and social work services

Tender description

The department wants to provide families holistic support, via internet or telephony. The provision of such support benefits both children and their families; it provides early intervention and prevent the avoidable escalation of issues. The department is looking to procure a service that provides: — information and guidance to users to enable them to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage, — creating more positive interactions for users, and enhancing the likelihood of positive outcomes, — services covering free, specialist, expert and holistic advice support for vulnerable children, safeguarding, education, childcare, well-being, special education needs, child maintenance and with help for housing, money and benefits, — effective information and sign posting to families to sources of support, and — effective outcomes, whilst enhancing long term sustainability for families, making them less dependent upon central funding. The department is looking to procure a service that provides: — information and guidance to users to enable them to resolve issues at the earliest possible stage, creating more positive interactions for users, and enhancing the likelihood of positive outcomes, — services covering free holistic advice and support for vulnerable children, safeguarding, education, childcare, well-being, special education needs, child maintenance and with help for housing, money and benefits, — effective information and signposting to families to sources of support, — effective outcomes, whilst enhancing long term sustainability for families, making them less dependent upon central funding, — support for harder-to-reach groups who might be less likely or less aware of their entitlement to these services. The service will identify these groups and have plans in place to address and overcome barriers and issues, and — a service which engages local authorities (England) and reminds them of their responsibilities to promote and provide advice to families, The service must also: — offer a strong digital presence that allows, wherever possible, individuals and families to “self-serve”, — be delivered online and/or through telephony, — be staffed by appropriately trained staff, and — allow users to be signposted to the right agencies according to their needs. The Service shall be available to all residents of England. The helpline(s) shall operate Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm excluding Bank Holidays and ensure that families have access to the helpline(s) at advertised times. Email advice shall be made available Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. An email address shall be provided and all email responded to within 5 working days of receipt, an automated response shall indicate this. The supplier shall operate an associated website available 24/7 — with links to related organisations. Provide a signposting service to other independent and in-house providers. A clear complaints process shall be put in place setting out how complaints will be handled, timescales for response, escalation criteria and appeals procedure.