Provision of Children and Young People’s Advocacy and Participation Services

January 22, 2009 in Community Care

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council’s Family Services Directorate wishes to invite tenders for the provision of the following services for young people comprising 1 tender to provide the following services (A) Advocacy Service, (B) Participation Service from suitably qualified and experienced organisations.

(A) Advocacy Service

The Advocacy Service is being commissioned to provide for:

a. The Advocacy Service provides for Looked After Children and Children with Disabilities aged 0-19, care leavers up to aged 21 who are placed in Foster care, Residential care, Out of district, Short breaks, Placed with parents regulations and Independent living

Also:

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children placed under Section 20 of the Children’s Act (not including translation services which are provided separately through Family Services)

A restricted number of Children or Young People at immediate risk of accommodation where the family is taking part in Family Group Conferencing with the Intensive Support Team or Family Centre

Children aged 0-19 who were formerly in the care of Wakefield i.e. returned home, adopted, subject to a residence or special guardianship order

The contract period for this service is 3-years from 1^st July 2009 to 30^th June 2012 (with provision to extend for a further 2 years subject to annual review and available funding)

(B) Participation Service

The Service will work within the Wakefield Involving Children and Young People Group and across the range of children and young people’s service providers with the:

Development of the participation agenda for children and young people aged 0-19 in Wakefield.

The roll out of Engaging our Futures framework and action plan (in line with the principles of the broader Wakefield District Partnership Engagement Framework.

Completion of specific participation /consultation projects.

Provision of service user information/perspectives for service commissioners, including the ongoing development and implementation of the Children & Young People’s Plan.

The contract period for this service is 21 months from 1^st July 2009 to 31^st March 2011 (with provision to extend up to a further 15 months subject to annual review and available funding)

The Current Service Provider/s have indicated that Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (‘TUPE’) will apply to both services. The Council does not provide warranty, with regard to this statement. Prospective applicants are advised to seek their own independent and professional advice on TUPE.

Both current contracts expire on 30^th June 2009

Applicants may choose to tender for one or both services, however, it is the Council’s intention to ideally seek Added Value in service delivery of both services from a single provider. This will be effective from the 1^st July 2009.

Tenders will be undertaken through the electronic ‘Supplier and Contract Management System ‘(SCMS). This allows applicants to electronically download, complete and submit tender documents.

Further details on SCMS and details on how to register can be found at http://scms.alito.co.uk

Reference WMDCSOC045 (A)
Reference WMDCSOC045 (B)

The return date for the tender (Services A & B) is no later than noon on 6^th February 2009