Barristers' Services Framework

Tender description

Bedford Borough Council (‘the Council’) invites Chambers to tender for the provision of a Barristers’ Framework Agreement. This Framework will provide a route to market for the purchase of barristers’ services, where there is demand for capacity or specialist expertise that cannot be met within the Council’s in-house Legal Services Unit. Lot 1: Barristers’ Services for Adults, Children and Education (ACE) The Council has statutory obligations under social care legislation, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Health Act 1983 and Children Act 1989 (as amended) and supplementary legislation. Our Legal Services Unit supports front line teams in fulfilling their statutory functions and provide support at strategic level in relation to the policies and procedures that underpin the delivery of Adults’ and Children’s Social Care (including Mental Health).The Council also has statutory obligations to provide education in mainstream, special school settings and alternative provisions including the Virtual School. The Legal Services Unit supports the strategic management of these duties which include school organisation, admission arrangements, exclusion, non-attendance (including education prosecutions), elective home education, children missing from education, academy conversion, safeguarding and the provision of services for children identified as having special educational needs (to include representation before the First tier and Upper Tribunal).Suppliers will be expected to have available expertise at all levels that can advise either strategically or at individual case level. Lot 2: Barristers’ Services for Governance, Planning, Property and Litigation (GPPL) The Council has a range of statutory obligations under legislation that fall under the GPPL remit. These include, but are not limited to:a. Obligations to respond to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to comply with data law/the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR);b. The duties of the Monitoring Officer pursuant to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended);c. Highways functions under the Highways Act 1980 and related legislation;d. Planning matters across all areas of the Town and country Planning Act 1990 and related or other legislation;e. Property matters including disposals, acquisitions, commercial leases, academy transfers, dilapidations, and a variety of general land law work;f. Housing issues including social housing and homeless provision;g. Licensing under the 2003 Act and all other licensing functions performed by a unitary authority;h. Trading Standards;i. Environmental Health;j. Housing and blue badge fraud;k. Procurement and contract work including state aid;l. General governance and administration of the Council;m. Administration of the Bedfordshire Pension Fund; andn. Administration of the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel.GPPL supports the strategic management of these duties which include advising in respect of the above.Suppliers shall be expected to have available expertise at all levels that can advise either strategically or at individual case level.