Shared Lives Service (formerly Adult Placement)

Buckinghamshire County Council is seeking an innovativeand experienced organisation to work with the Council to establish and develop a Shared Lives Service in Buckinghamshire. Start up funding will be offered for a three year period to enable the provider to establish & develop the Scheme in order to become financially independent by March 2012.

Shared Lives is an alternative and highly flexible form of accommodationand support provided by individuals or families in their own homes in thecommunity. Shared Lives Schemes provide a wide range of services, from short breaks to long term placements ‘for life’. Schemes work with people from all adult client groups and our vision is to enable people using the service to choose what support they want, who they would like to provide it and when they want it provided.

If you are interested you will need to demonstrate knowledge & experience of working with a range of different people including those with learning disabilities. Previous experience in running a Shared Lives Scheme is not essential but we are keen to hear from organisations with experience and commitment to developing high quality and innovativeservices; a proven ability to empower and involve service users in all aspects of their lives and a commitment to, and experience of, promoting social inclusion.

In addition, the development of the Scheme is an opportunity for you to help shape our future commissioning framework as we meet the challenges of the transformation of social care services and the transfer of budgets to individual service users. This will radically change the way services are commissioned and provided in the future. We are therefore looking for a Shared Lives Provider that has the capacity and willingness to be at the forefront of new ways of working.

The Provider will be selected by end of February 2009 with placements starting in October 2009.

There will be two events held on 15 December to provide further information relevant to the tender. Requests for a tender questionnaire must be made in writing by Tuesday 16 December 2008 to:

Helen Bold, Procurement Team Leader, Procurement & Commissioning,
Buckinghamshire County Council, County Hall,
Walton Street, Aylesbury,
Buckinghamshire HP20 1YG

Email: procurement@buckscc.gov.uk
Fax: 01296 382200

The closing date for return of tenders is Noon Monday 26 January 2009