Welfare services for children and young people

Tender description

Warwickshire County Council (WCC/ the Council) invited providers to participate in a competitive dialogue process with the aim of awarding one or more contracts for the provision of children’s residential services. WCC was seeking a service provision that can ultimately support all our CYP who require residential care. We were looking for a service that ensures that our most vulnerable CYP are supported and cared for in residential placements which strive to offer them a caring, supportive and nurturing home, in which they are empowered to have their voice heard and are given the opportunity to grow and thrive in all aspects of their life. The Council is also seeking to include some additional elements into the new service as detailed in the tender documents. In summary this procurement consisted of a selection stage, a dialogue stage, submissions of tenders and then a negotiation stage with final tenders. We are looking for a service that ensures that our most vulnerable CYP are supported and cared for in residential placements which strive to offer them a caring, supportive and nurturing home, in which they are empowered to have their voice heard and are given the opportunity to grow and thrive in all aspects of their life. The aim is to enable Warwickshire CYP to remain as close to Warwickshire as possible and to facilitate, where appropriate, the safe return of those currently placed out of county. Overall we want access to the right placement at the right time, keeping CYP close to their communities and local public services to support the delivery of placement stability, better long-term outcomes and to contribute to meeting statutory sufficiency requirements. The service is not intended to be used as an end destination, instead the service will support and prepare CYP (and wherever possible their families/networks) to successfully transition to independence or to an alternative care provision as per the long term care plan (e.g. return to family home, fostering, move to supported accommodation). This includes the provision of outreach support within the family home, foster or supported living placement to support the sustainability of the long term care plan. In meeting our requirements the new service needs to provide a solution to the following issues: sufficiency; local placements: matching; placement stability; flexible response; effective additional interventions; prepare the CYP for a return to family based living or adulthood (and independent living); integrates with WCC other commissioned services; delivers value for money. We would like proposals that offer some new and innovative ideas on how to meet our requirements. The council is also seeking to include some additional elements into the new service such as: emergency/crisis support; short term assessment; developing transition support; potentially including the provision of the fostering and supported accommodation services themselves; the provision of outreach support; in some instances we may require residential placements that offer education as an additional service. These services may also be subject to other modifications and changes in order to meet the changing needs and demands of the Council and the CYP. This may also be as the result of additional or reduced funding streams.