Social work and related services

Tender description

The National Assessment and Accreditation System (NAAS) for child and families social workers forms a vital part of wider reforms to encourage child and family social workers and practice supervisors to develop and demonstrate their knowledge and skills against national standards. We wish to procure a delivery supplier to deliver all that we need in phase 2 of the programme, between September 2019 and March 2020, with potential for extension until September 2020. NAAS is now in its second phase of delivery with 56 local authorities and Trusts on-board. The demand from the sector to join as early adopters means the project is now very different to how it looked 2 years ago, when the last procurement was carried out. This procurement exercise is to ensure that the successful delivery of NAAS to date is built on, and a delivery partner is in place to deliver all that we need in phase 2 between September 2019 and March 2020. The incumbent supplier will provide a full handover to the new supplier. This tender is for: — management of the whole NAAS assessment delivery system including —— operational delivery of NAAS assessment centres, which includes delivery of practice simulation with actors; —— continuation of existing digital platform; —— governance of the service; —— delivery of a minimum of 800 high quality assessments to a maximum of 1950 high quality assessments between September 2019 and March 2020; — monthly light touch support and universal communications offer to NAAS site employers, — collaborative working with users, stakeholders and partners. To ensure the continued delivery of assessment centres, 65 centres have been booked for the period September 2019-December 2019, using additional funding outside of this contract to pay for; venues, staff (a centre manager, assessment facilitators, assessors and actors) and logistical arrangements for the IT equipment to be delivered to the centres by courier. Information about these booked assessment centres will be handed over to the successful supplier as part of the implementation period. On commencement of this contract, the supplier will be expected to deliver associated management and quality assurance of those booked assessment centres, and immediately commence booking and operational delivery of assessment centres for the period of January-March 2020. The competition will commence on 19 July and the contract will be for six months, with 2 options to extend for a further 3 months (6 months + 3 months + 3 months). The Department wishes to assess market capability and capacity to administer and deliver a response for this service.