Education and training services

Tender description

Doncaster Borough Council (The Council) is seeking to appoint a range of Contractors able to provide Alternative Provision for children and young people, aged 8-19 many who are not able to attend their usual school or setting many of whom have severe difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. The successful applicants must be able to appropriately meets the needs of pupils and enable them to achieve good educational attainment, which is aligned to that of their mainstream peers. The successful provider must also be able to supplement learning through the provision of a broad range of holistic interventions The Council is proposing to appoint Contractors through the application of a modified Dynamic Purchasing System established under the Light touch Regime The DPS will consist of 3 Lots: Lot 1: Provision to promote engagement and/or reengagement to mainstream school, Lot 2: Provision to support Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Lot 3: KS4 5 day SEMH provision. The purpose of Engagement and Re-Integration is to establish a connection/rapport with the learner and with the mainstream setting which can be built on to move towards reengagement with learning.The purpose of Reengagement is to encourage the child or young person to reengage in education. Reengagement activities need to be interesting, inspiring, interactive and safe. Effective vocational training programmes (including Academic) and learning opportunities can help children or/and young people to reach their full potential, enabling them to develop or update existing skills to get back into the workplace. Sometimes a short-course to give an accreditation in a specific work area can overcome barriers to employment and enhance an individual’s employability as well as boost self-esteem and self-confidence. Individuals can develop self-esteem and enjoy better mental health and wellbeing from participating in positive activities. Providers should demonstrate a willingness to work collaboratively with mainstream settings to support learners to reengage with mainstream learning. This may include: outreach support, information sharing and providing specialist information, advice and training to mainstream settings. This lot includes access to therapeutic services and counselling as detailed below. Learners may also need access to therapeutic services and/or counselling: Therapeutic services, in this context, are activities that have a therapeutic effect on the child or young person. Therapeutic services may not be registered to an accredited body, however there is the expectation that staff will be qualified, trained, and experienced and that there will be Continuous Professional Development and regular supervision. Therapeutic services help people to “tell” their story, solve problems and build resilience in a safe and supported environment. Therapeutic services need to be safe, non-judgemental, accessible, culturally aware and confidential and the skills and characteristics of the therapist are very important to successful outcomes. A broad range of activities can be classed as therapeutic ranging from activity based to animal based. Counsellors are required to be registered with a professional body for regulating counselling/psychotherapy and that staff will be qualified, trained, experienced and that there will be Continuous Professional Development and regular clinical supervision. Counselling is about focusing on what matters to find a way through difficulties. Services are aimed at helping children and young people overcome difficult and challenging situations and life events, improve relations and provide support for people to manage more effectively changes in their inter-personal and family life. The LA has a duty to identify, assess and make provision to meet the special educational and wider needs of children within its area and to monitor progress against outcomes. The SEND Service aims to provide a range of appropriate educational opportunities and additional resources for children and young people with special educational needs so that their needs can be met in an inclusive setting. Children and young people with SEN present with a range of needs and therefore there is a requirement for a wide range of personalised packages of support suitably differentiated to meet individual needs. In order that costs reflect the range and complexity of support required, the LA wishes to develop positive working relationships with a wide range of providers to ensure that costs reflect individual needs and offer best value for money. The Provider must be able to: — identify suitable educational provision and/or learning opportunities that meet the needs defined in the young person’s individual SEN Support or statutory plan, — facilitate the transition process to enable the child/young person to return to the most appropriate education setting where appropriate, — engage in proactive partnership working with parents/carers and a range of agencies to meet the specific needs of the child/young person, — effectively contribute to the outcomes defined in both statutory and non-statutory plans (EHCP and SEN Support) and where appropriate (year 9 upwards) the Preparing for Adulthood outcomes, — contribute to all statutory processes and attend reviews where appropriate There may be times when a child or young person needs access to 5 day provision. Such a decision will be taken following initial assessment of pupils’ needs and will be achieved through the collaborative work of Doncaster Council, schools and Alternative Provision Providers (Primary and Secondary) as appropriate. The Provider must be able to offer the following: On-going assessment, pastoral support, family engagement, curriculum range and work-based placement opportunities suited to the needs of a diverse group of young people with varying abilities and aptitudes. Accreditation must be a key feature of the provision as will basic skills acquisition. The Provider will set and support young people to achieve outcomes targets in relation to: — attendance, — behaviour, — progress, — qualifications and accreditation, — inclusion. The Provider will be able to evidence the following: Young people and outcomes centred approach Strong leadership and governance A strong staffing base with a range of qualified teaching, pastoral, social, staff and evidence of continuing personal development. Evidence that students can access nationally recognised qualifications and that provision is either registered as an exam centre or has access. Provides a curriculum that secures student outcomes, preparing them for their next stage in learning, employment or training. Clear progression routes must be evidenced Ofsted registration If Independent, the Provider should have met the Independent School Standards Evidence of secure practice in educating and training young people presenting with SEMH needs to achieve recognised standards and manage their behaviour. Appropriate insurance cover, safeguarding arrangements, DBS clearance, Health and Safety priorities, policies and procedures. A culture of high expectations and commitment to pupil progress and achievement.