CT1168 - Accredited Pathways and Certified Counsellors and Therapists

Tender description

The City of Edinburgh Council is seeking to create a Framework of providers in line with the National Improvement Framework for Education. The vision for education in Edinburgh is to ensure excellence by raising attainment and improving outcomes through Accredited Pathways and Certified Counsellors and Therapists: ensuring that every child and young person achieves the highest standards in literacy and numeracy, as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to shape their future as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors. The City of Edinburgh Council will realise this vision by achieving equity: ensuring every child and young person has the same opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background, social circumstances, additional needs or shared protected characteristics, with a particular focus on closing the poverty related attainment gap, and improving mental health and wellbeing. In order to achieve this, The City of Edinburgh Council will work to reduce the Poverty Related Attainment Gap (PRAG) through a transdisciplinary approach. Delivery of excellence will be achieved via the Edinburgh Imperative, which has four key themes to support reduction of the PRAG: Attendance, Literacy & Numeracy, Pathways, Health and Wellbeing. Collaboration and relationship building with partner providers is a key theme to support young people’s outcomes being at the heart of everything we do. Partner Providers will support schools to provide a service which ensures pupils receive high quality education which meets their needs, delivers improved educational outcomes and avoids exclusion. The City of Edinburgh Council are encouraging a ‘Place Based’ approach to services and supports to families and young people. The intention is to develop comprehensive supports that are within 20minutes of any identified need. Background The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to getting it right for every child. Our priorities include helping children to be active, healthy, and nurtured, improving achievement, and closing any gaps in attainment. The City of Edinburgh is working alongside Providers to build a Framework which incorporates a range of accredited pathways and certified counselling and therapies, that will be accessible to all children and young people. This will incorporate their learning needs, their interests and aid inclusion. Current Engagement The City of Edinburgh Council purchases services from independent providers to achieve the above vision. An average of 124 different schools use these provisions every year. Edinburgh is committed to ensuring the highest quality service and best value from services which the Council purchases. Lot 1: Accredited Pathways The City of Edinburgh Council is looking to create a local framework to meet these specific needs and is looking to engage providers in addressing this. We are looking to procure services which: - Work in flexible and goal-orientated ways to complement the learner’s education, in partnership with their school. - Address barriers to learning which can arise within the school community and as a result of additional support needs. - Provide evidence of outcomes achieved. - Enable the voices of learners and their families to shape the support provided and contribute to solutions. - Offer accreditation. - Work towards Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes, linked to the Curriculum for Excellence. In partnership with the School, the Provider should be able to demonstrate inclusive practice and improved outcomes in an aspect of the Edinburgh Imperatives. We want our future commissioned services to build on these strengths and to do the following: - Work in strengths based, solution focussed and restorative manner. - Demonstrate efficiencies, innovation and added value. - Contribute to a wider learning culture within the partnership to improve outcomes. - Provide sustainable best-value approaches. Lot 2: Certified Counsellors and Therapists The City of Edinburgh Council is looking to create a local framework to meet these specific needs and is looking to engage providers in addressing this. We are looking to procure services which: - Work in flexible and goal-orientated ways to complement the learner’s education, in partnership with their school. - Address barriers to learning which can arise within the school community and as a result of additional support needs. - Provide evidence of outcomes achieved. - Enable the voices of learners and their families to shape the support provided and contribute to solutions. - Work towards Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes, linked to the Curriculum for Excellence - Work with Counsellors and Therapists who are certified with relevant qualifications and membership of Governing bodies In partnership with the School, the Provider should be able to demonstrate inclusive practice and improved outcomes in an aspect of the Edinburgh Imperatives. We want our future commissioned services to build on these strengths and to do the following: - Work in strengths based, solution focussed and restorative manner. - Demonstrate efficiencies, innovation and added value. - Contribute to a wider learning culture within the partnership to improve outcomes. - Provide sustainable best-value approaches.