Social work and related services

Tender description

We are proposing to contract for Fosterline, an independent advice, information and support service for current and prospective foster carers. We would expect the service to provide a national telephone helpline across England and a website with digital support services. Around 3 quarters of looked after children are in foster care. Foster carers therefore play a crucial role in our care system, providing much needed support and security for often very vulnerable children, and enabling their successful transition into independent adult life. Through delivery of Fosterline, the Department for Education is committed to supporting foster carers so the children in their care achieve the best possible outcomes, alongside ensuring we have sufficient foster carers with the right skills and capacity to meet children’s needs. Fosterline is designed to offer an impartial source of up to date and accurate information and advice for prospective and existing foster carers on issues such as how to become a foster carer, allegations of abuse, benefits, training, breakdown of placements, matters relating to the legal position of carers and any other issues about fostering which enquirers raise. Fosterline has been funded by the Department for the last 13 years and is regarded as a valuable resource for foster carers to discuss issues of concern confidentially. The objective of Fosterline is to: — support the retention of foster carers by providing accurate, appropriate and sensitive information, advice and signposting on a wide range of issues of concern to foster parents, thus enabling them to meet the needs of the children and young people in their care, — support the recruitment of foster carers by providing confidential, independent advice and information to prospective carers about how to become a foster carer; the issues involved; the training and support available to them before, during assessment and when fostering, and — reach a wide range of people with the potential to foster, including currently under-represented groups to contribute to the Government’s objective of identifying a diverse pool of foster carers to address the gaps in foster carers for specific groups such as teenagers, sibling groups and looked-after children with complex needs. The Department is seeking to award a 2 year contract to an organisation to provide this service through a national helpline across England and a website with digital support services. There will be a break clause after the first year. There is currently an organisation delivering this service on behalf of the Department and they receive over 3 700 calls a year, with over 170 000 visits to their website. Scheduled date for publication of contract notice: We expect this to be published in early November 2019. Start and end dates of the contract: This will be a 2 year contract, beginning 1.4.2020 and ending 31.3.2022. There will be a break clause after 1 year, at 31.3.2021.