D2N2 Children in Care Framework

Tender description

Nottinghamshire County Council, on behalf of Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Councils, is seeking to establish an open Framework for Independent Fostering and Residential Homes Placements provision under the light touch regime of the Public Contracts Regulations. Services that will be purchased under the Framework by D2N2 will include individualised packages to meet the needs of the children and young people, and include emergency, planned, short term, long term, permanent, sibling, solo, respite, parent and baby, and remand placements. Details as set out in the service specification. The framework will remain open for new tenders for the duration of its operation. These bids will be evaluated at set intervals. Bidders may tender for 1 or more of the following lots: 1) Independent Residential Children’s Homes; and 2) Independent Fostering Agency Services. Lot 1: Independent Residential Children’s Homes The provider must ensure all homes comply with the Children’s Home’s (England) Regulations 2015, including the 2015 Quality Standards or other relevant regulatory body e.g. Care Inspectorate Wales; Care Quality Commission and be judged by Ofsted as 'good' or 'outstanding' (with the exception of newly registered provision, which has an initial maximum Ofsted judgement). The provider shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure that placements are made available within small group homes. Standard Children’s Homes Placements: The majority of children’s residential placements required by Contracting Authorities through this contract will be Standard Children's Home placements within the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area. The weekly price shall include all core services as detailed in the specification, plus any additional services that are agreed at the time the placement is agreed. Specialist Children’s Homes: Refers to children and young people who have a range of specialist and complex needs that may require additional services over and above those described in the core children’s home offer description. These could include Emotional Behaviour Difficulties (EBD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with challenging behaviour with or without learning disabilities (LD) or low-level LD, moderate or severe LD, and Complex Health Needs. To meet the requirements of this category, providers will need to evidence the additional experience, additional services, additional costs, training and qualifications of their staff team. Providers may wish to be considered for both standard provision and to deliver specialist services for children in accordance with their statement of purpose and Ofsted registration. The weekly price for a Specialist Children’s Home Provision shall include all services as standard homes plus additional services to reflect a specialist service. Services and costs associated with a specialist service, over and above standard services, need to be detailed separately identifying the specialist services to be input and a cost breakdown in accordance with the menu of additional services submitted for this framework. Lot 2: Independent Fostering Agency Services Fostering placements: The provider shall ensure that the placements will be compliant with the appropriate Fostering Services Regulations according to the country in which the carers are based. In England Independent Fostering Agencies should be judged by Ofsted to be 'good' or 'outstanding' (except for newly registered provision). All fostering placements must provide skilled and well-trained foster carers who can provide a stable, loving, caring and welcoming family home for children and young people who may have experienced loss, separation, abuse, neglect or harm and may consequently have complex and challenging emotional and behavioural difficulties. All fostering placements must support attendance at required health assessments/appointments, and associated appointments including but not limited to dentist, optician appointments. Failure to attend must also be reported to the relevant Local Authority in a timely manner. Standard fostering: Standard fostering placements will be required for children and young people who have not been assessed as having significant complex and specialist needs and who are not in need of intensive intervention. This will be most fostering placements required through this contract. The weekly price shall include all core services as detailed in the specification, plus any additional services that are required, which will be agreed at the time the placement is agreed. It is likely that some children or young people will have been exposed to poor parenting, had several placement breakdowns, have difficulties in forming positive and healthy attachments. Children and young people may have been exposed to domestic violence or have parents struggling with substance misuse. They may have mild conditions or disabilities such as ASD, learning disability, health needs or physical disabilities that are manageable in a standard fostering environment with the correct skills, training and support. Children and young people with challenging behaviours may require carers to provide consistent boundaries and may require a highly managed and structured environment in all areas of their life to feel safe and to begin to trust. Specialist fostering: Specialist fostering services will be required for children and young people assessed as having more significant complex and/or specialist needs and should include all that is included in standard fostering, plus additional services and support. Children and young people may have moderate to severe or profound conditions or disabilities such as ASD, learning disability, health needs or physical disabilities; they may require support in relation to significant attachment issues, substance misuse, offending or sexualised behaviour, or may themselves be at risk of exploitation. These children and young people may be in crisis and may be presenting with behaviours that are outside the norm for them as individuals, such as significant self-harm, risk taking and challenging behaviour or mental health difficulties. It is expected that carers providing specialist fostering placements will receive regular additional training and support, minimum of 14 days respite and an opportunity for increased respite allocation (additional service menu) if necessary to stabilise a placement, as well as access to therapy to support their emotional and mental well-being and resilience. To meet the requirements of this category, providers will need to evidence the additional services, additional costs, training and qualifications of their carers and supervising social workers, and details of the active support package around carers.