Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Renfrewshire Council
Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1JB
shona.brydson@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Telephone
+44 3003000300
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM83 - Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA00400
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://www.publictendersscotland.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
one.5) Main activity
General public services
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
School Based Counselling
Reference number
RC-CPU-22-340
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85312320 - Counselling services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Renfrewshire Children’s Services are seeking to contract for a school-based counselling service. It will cover three primary schools and one secondary school to provide therapeutic support and improve the mental health and wellbeing and emotional resilience of children and young people.
This contract aims to support children and young people referred to the service by the school - usually those with more complex needs.
The service will be available for at least two consecutive days a week in two of the primary schools and 2.5 consecutive days a week in one primary and the secondary school throughout school term time.
It is expected that flexible, culturally appropriate and inequalities-sensitive approaches will be used and that the interested organisations will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the pattern of inequalities in Renfrewshire and of the barriers in working in communities with high levels of deprivation.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services
- 85312320 - Counselling services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKM83 - Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire
Main site or place of performance
Renfrewshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
Renfrewshire Council is seeking to appoint a single provider to deliver Counselling Services within three primary schools and one secondary school to provide therapeutic support and improve the mental health and wellbeing and emotional resilience of children and young people.
The contract will be for a period of 32 months with no option to extend.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Quality criterion - Name: Child Protection / Weighting: 0% (Pass/Fail)
Quality criterion - Name: Complaints Procedure / Weighting: 2.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Proposals for Delivering the Service / Weighting: 35.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Implementation Plan / Weighting: 8.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Service Delivery Improvement / Weighting: 8.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Unforeseen Events / Weighting: 5.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Management and Staffing / Weighting: 12.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Community Benefits / Weighting: 5.0%
Quality criterion - Name: Fair Working Practices / Weighting: 5.0%
Price - Weighting: 20
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months
32
This contract is subject to renewal
No
two.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted: No
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: No
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
two.2.14) Additional information
As there is a current service provider, TUPE may apply.
Section three. Legal, economic, financial and technical information
three.1) Conditions for participation
three.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers
List and brief description of conditions
Formal counselling should be undertaken by a professional counsellor, acting in their specialist role, and in accordance with a strict code of ethics, which requires confidentially, accountability and clinical supervision.
- All school-based staff will be required to have an up-to-date enhanced disclosure Scotland PVG.
- All counsellors must be appropriately trained and qualified and accredited by their professional/therapeutic bodies, such as Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), or British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
The service Provider should conform to agreed professional standards, such as those provided by COSCA and BACP.
The service Provider should conform to current best practice for school-based counselling, specifically in respect of counsellors’ qualifications, supervision policy, child protection policies and continuous professional development and learning.
three.1.2) Economic and financial standing
List and brief description of selection criteria
INSURANCE
The successful Tenderer must hold, or commit to obtain prior to the commencement of and duration of the Contract of any subsequently awarded contract, the types and levels of insurance indicated below:
- Employers Liability - 5 million GBP minimum (statutory), each and every claim
- Public Liability - 5 million GBP minimum, each and every claim
- Professional Indemnity - 1 million GBP minimum, in the aggregate
- Motor Vehicle - If vehicles are used at all for this contract (ie for attending council premises for supplier performance monitoring meetings): Third party Motor Vehicle cover (statutory) to be evidenced with a MV certificate in the COMPANY name; OR where there is no company fleet and employees use their own vehicles instead, a letter signed by a person of appropriate authority confirming that the provider has ongoing arrangements in place to ensure that employees' vehicles are appropriately insured and maintained for business purposes.
FINANCIAL
The Council will use Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to assist in its determination of the organisation’s financial status and risk. The Council would expect Tenderers to have a minimum D&B Failure Score of 20, however failure to meet this Failure Score would not necessarily merit a ‘FAIL’ as the D&B Failure Score is only one factor used by the Council in assessing the acceptability or otherwise of a Tenderer’s financial status.
The Council will take into account the Tenderer’s response to the SPD Part 1V Question 4B.1.1. Further information is contained within the Tender Documents.
three.1.3) Technical and professional ability
List and brief description of selection criteria
Tenderers will be required to provide examples that demonstrate that they have the relevant experience to deliver the services as described.
A minimum of two examples will be required.
three.2) Conditions related to the contract
three.2.1) Information about a particular profession
Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession
Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision
a) All staff appointed to the contract must have an up-to-date enhanced disclosure Scotland PVG carried out at the providers cost before being able to provide these services.
b) Tenderers will be required to confirm that they and/or the service provider have the relevant educational and professional qualifications.
c) All staff must be appropriately trained and qualified and accredited by relevant professional/therapeutic bodies. For example, counselling staff delivering services should be accredited with COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland) or BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) or equivalent.
d) Tendering organisations should conform to agreed professional standards, such as those provided by COSCA and BACP, and current best practice for school-based counselling.
three.2.2) Contract performance conditions
The Contract will be subject to the Council's Contract Management Procedures; Please refer to the Tender Documents.
three.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract
Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
four.2) Administrative information
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
16 June 2023
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender
Tender must be valid until: 13 November 2023
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
16 June 2023
Local time
12:00pm
Place
Via Microsoft Teams
Information about authorised persons and opening procedure
At a minimum two people, including one Senior Procurement Specialist from the Corporate Procurement Unit will be in attendance at the tender opening.
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.2) Information about electronic workflows
Electronic ordering will be used
Electronic invoicing will be accepted
Electronic payment will be used
six.3) Additional information
Full details of the exclusion and assessment criteria are detailed within the SPD and Invitation to Tender.
Tenderers are required to:
- Complete the SPD to be concluded for the Contract.
- Complete a SPD by sub-contractors to be concluded for the Contract.
- Comply with the Service Specification;
- Comply with the General Conditions of Contract and Special Conditions of Contract (H&SC);
- Confirm if managerial staff and those delivering the service are appropriately registered (as noted within the Tender Documents);
- Confirm staff have been PVG checked.
The contract may be modified in accordance with Regulation 72 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.
The Council will use Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to assist in its determination of the organisation’s financial status and risk. The Council would expect Tenderers to have a minimum D&B Failure Score of 20, however failure to meet this Failure Score would not necessarily merit a ‘FAIL’ as the D&B Failure Score is only one factor used by the Council in assessing the acceptability or otherwise of a Tenderer’s financial status.
The Council will take into account the Tenderer’s response to the SPD Part 1V Question 4B.1.1. Further information is contained within the Tender Documents.
It is recommended that tenderers review their own D&B Failure Score in advance of submitting their tender submission. If, following this review, Tenderers consider that the D&B Failure Score does not reflect their current financial status, the tenderer should attach a document to this section giving a detailed explanation together with any relevant supporting independent evidence. The Council will review any such information as part of the evaluation of Tenderer’s financial status.
Where the Tenderer is under no obligation to publish accounts and therefore does not have a D&B Failure Score or equivalent rating, they must provide their audited financial accounts for the previous 2 years as part of their Tender Submission in order that the Council may assess these to determine the suitability of the Tenderer to undertake a Contract of this size.
Where a consortium bid is received, the D&B Failure Score of each consortium member shall be assessed. Any accounts or documents submitted must be in English and, if appropriate, certified as accurate translations.
For Sole Traders please provide submitted Tax Returns for the previous 3 years as part of the Tender Submission in order that the Council may assess these to determine the suitability of the Tenderer to undertake a Contract of this size.
Where the Tenderer is a subsidiary of a group but is applying as a separate legal entity and fails to meet the minimum D&B Failure Score (or equivalent) as a company, a parent company or bank guarantee may be required to allow progression in the tender process.
The Council will be the sole judge as to whether these are required and it shall notify Tenderers accordingly. The parent company or bank guarantee must meet the minimum financial requirements as assessed by the Council and must be in the form requested by the Council.
Where the Tenderer intends to sub-contract more than 25% of any Contract value to a single sub-contractor then the foregoing actions will apply similarly to the relevant sub-contractor(s). The Council also reserves the right to reject the use of sub-contractors following evaluation of the sub-contractor’s financial status.
The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 24037. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343
Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/
A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:
Information regarding Community Benefits is contained within the Invitation to Tender documentation.
(SC Ref:731070)
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Sheriff Court or the Court of Session
See VI.4.3 Below
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.3) Review procedure
Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures
An economic operator that suffers or risks suffering, loss or damage attributable to breach of duty under the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 (SSI 2015/446, as amended) may bring proceedings in the Sheriff Court or the Court of Session in accordance with Regulation 88 of the 2015 Regulations.