Peer Support and Full-Time Educational Provision for Pupils with EHC Plans (13-19 years).

Tender description

West Berkshire District Council (WBC) is seeking expressions of interest for the delivery of highly specialized education packages for young people with severe and enduring social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. The service provider must be able to meet all the detailed requirements set out in Section II:Interested parties with relevant expertise are encouraged to submit their expressions of interest and detail how all of the criteria would be met. Please submit responses by Friday 1st November. We reserve the right to engage only with providers who meet or exceed the requirements for this service. Lot 1: Tailored and Individualised Education Packages:Providers must have extensive experience in designing and delivering customized, flexible education plans tailored specifically to the complex and evolving needs of young people with severe SEMH difficulties. This includes a proven ability to adapt educational content and approaches on an ongoing basis to suit the individual’s emotional and behavioural profile, taking into consideration the needs of the other pupils on school site. Established Track Record of successfully engaging, supporting and retaining young people with SEMH challenges in education. This includes a deep understanding of the complexities of SEMH, as well as a successful track record in maintaining educational engagement for children and young people with a history of exclusion from mainstream settings.WBC will have a substantial role in shaping the educational content, therapeutic interventions, and overall approach to supporting a small cohort of young people with SEMH needs who are the most challenging. Providers must be able to demonstrate a high ratio of staffing support for the pupil cohort which is about 14 young people with EHC Plans. Providers must ensure that a 1:1 staffing ratio is maintained at all times to effectively manage pupil vulnerability and mitigate risks to staff and other pupils. Providers must have successfully delivered services of similar scope and provide evidence through case studies of meeting the highly complex needs of the pupil cohort.Providers must demonstrate a readiness to collaborate closely with WBC in the regular customisation and ongoing adaptation of these packages based on regular assessments and reviews of individual progress.Providers’ staff must possess the qualifications and experience necessary to meet the complex needs of young people with SEMH difficulties. Staff should be able to implement therapeutic and educational strategies which combines the core elements of the model comprised of peer mentoring, trauma informed approaches along with full-time education as the core service offer. As part of the wider service offer, Providers are expected to arrange and implement vocational placements. Providers will be required to collaborate closely with WBC in order to develop comprehensive and detailed plans for possible service expansion, ensuring alignment with WBC’s strategic priorities and timelines. Failure to comply with this expectation may result in delays or reconsideration of service agreements. Providers are expected to include within the provision a framework to cover the moral, social, cultural and spiritual needs of the pupils. Providers must demonstrate the ability to operate within a wider multi-agency framework that includes health, social care, and other educational services. Providers must comply with WBC’s stringent safeguarding standards, which will be monitored and enforced by WBC. This includes having mechanisms for reporting, monitoring, and addressing safeguarding concerns in accordance with WBC directives. Providers must deliver the provision at a site owned and managed by WBC. The chosen provider will be required to adhere to WBC policies and procedures related to the use, maintenance and management of the site.Providers must be Ofsted registered with a rating of at least Good or Outstanding or equivalent overall result and having a recent Ofsted inspection that is no more than 5 years old.Providers will be expected to demonstrate the ability to operate within budgetary constraints while maintaining high standards of care and education and ensure that costs are comparable or lower than market rates based on their own benchmarking.WBC is committed to delivering enhanced social value through this procurement opportunity. We are seeking providers who are committed to employing people from West Berkshire to support the local economy creating employment opportunities and fostering the development of skills within the local community.