Social work services

Tender description

Community short breaks are intended to have positive benefits for both children and young people who have disabilities as well as their parents and carers. Providers will support individual children with disabilities and young people to access mainstream community assets and activities as outlined in the child’s support plan. E. g community art groups, scouts. The service is required for children with disabilities and young people who have been assessed, via a social care assessment or an early help assessment as in need of 1:1 (or 2:1) support to access community activities. The service will be delivered in line with each individual’s support plan and will adhere to the following service principles: • the delivery of personalised support; • the delivery of outcomes; • focus on promoting independence; • focus on community inclusion; • promoting equality; • working in partnership; • child protection and Safeguarding including Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). This procurement is for social care services which are considered Light Touch Regime (LTR) services under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations (‘Regulations’). Accordingly, the Council is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 ‘Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7, Social and Other Specific Services’ 74 to 76 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The Council is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations. The procedure which the Council is following is set out within this ITT. The agreement is based upon the basic principles of a framework agreement, and although there are some similar aspects, it does not fully operate in the same way as outlined in regulation 33 of the Public Contracts Regulations (2015). The local authority will create a ‘pseudo framework agreement’ (based on CCS guidance) and have set out clearly how we intend to operate the framework agreement from the outset through the OJEU notice, tender document and call-off Schedule, which also details the timeline for when it will be reopened. This meets the duty of transparency and equal treatment, which are the main guidelines to follow when setting up an LTR contract. This flexible framework agreement is designed with the intention to award up to a maximum of three successful providers. Where the authority is not in the position to award to three, it reserves the right to award a lower number i.e one or two. This has been designed to ensure; continued competition, a basis of flexibility and also support the creation of sustainable business opportunities for new market entrants, into the City of Coventry. Each call-off from the framework would be for the delivery of a short break package and/or separate home support package. All parties participating in this tender exercise including those preferred bidders awarded a place on the framework should at all times note that the Council provides no guarantee (express or implied) as to the minimum level of work offered to framework partners pursuant to the contract. All call-offs made against the flexible framework will be delivered via mini competition exercises. All providers accepted onto the Framework agreement will be invited to compete for specific requirements at the time of each referral. This is to provide the necessitated flexibility in the process, to allow for service provision to be effectively delivered, at the right time, to meet variable demand. Reopening of the flexible framework – the project aim is to have three (3) sustainable providers with the requisite sufficiency to support the framework deliver quality, choice and market viability. If during the framework agreement term, a provider is removed or withdraws from the framework; other external providers, including those that have previously applied and failed to become a framework provider, will be given a further opportunity to obtain a place on this framework agreement. The Council will advertise this opportunity as and when required and will place the advertisements on the Councils E-tendering portal www.csw-jets.co.uk. If a provider fails to be admitted onto the framework, they may reapply for re-consideration during the designated framework reopening term(s) to demonstrate that contract requirements can be met.