Tender

IA2441 Community Independence & Integration Support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children

  • Staffordshire County Council

F02: Contract notice

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-023722

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02ba80

Published 23 September 2021, 4:18pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Staffordshire County Council

Staffordshire Place 2

Stafford

ST16 2DH

Contact

Caryl Laffey

Email

caryl.laffey@staffordshire.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1785854160

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKG24 - Staffordshire CC

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement

Buyer's address

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement

one.3) Communication

The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at

https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/account/login

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/account/login

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

IA2441 Community Independence & Integration Support for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children

Reference number

IA2441

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85000000 - Health and social work services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Overall description – This service is for the provision of a Community Independence and Integration Support Service for Staffordshire’s Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) and Refugee Children accepted by Staffordshire County Council as part of the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS).

This provision will provide support, encouragement, and opportunities for Staffordshire’s UASC and UKRS Refugee Children population to engage in their community through various community assets in order to benefit the resident community, promote positive outcomes for these young people and achieve community cohesion. The vision is to ensure that all these children and young people have a network of support to help them manage their own challenges, develop robust independence skills, and achieve their goals and ambitions to be contributing, positive members of society.

The service will be provided to all UASC and UKRS Refugee Children and on occasion may include children and young people living outside of Staffordshire County.

The service will operate from a central Hub within the central Newcastle Under Lyme area of Staffordshire.

Further Background and Context Information can be found in the IA2441 Service Specification on the Authority’s Proactis electronic tendering system. How to register - follow the link to Proactis electronic tendering: https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login

The Government is also looking to settle Afghan families of Afghan locally employed staff who have previously worked with British forces and British Embassy staff in Afghanistan within the UK. The Council intends to accept Afghan families as part of the Afghan Locally Employed Staff (LES) Relocation Scheme during 2021. Children in these families will also be supported by this service.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £650,588

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKG24 - Staffordshire CC
Main site or place of performance

Staffordshire

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

This service is for the provision of a Community Independence and Integration Support Service for Staffordshire’s Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) and Refugee Children accepted by Staffordshire County Council as part of the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS).

This service provision will comprise of the following key elements:

Specialist Hub – It will be a multi-faceted and a central point from which young people are supported to engage in community activities and social action utilising local community assets and initiatives.

UASC & Refugee Children Community Education & Training Service – providing a support function to operational staff, helping to improve outcomes providing them with a holistic educational and training experience that addresses their unique needs within the educational environment.

The service will work with Staffordshire’s UASC in foster care, residential placements, supported accommodation and living independently. The Service Hub will have a base in Newcastle-under-Lyme and will also offer support for UASC both on a countrywide basis in community settings and beyond via their digital/outreach offer. A number of USAC Leaving care with SC have moved out of County and live in areas as far reaching as London and will need to receive Information and Guidance support digitally.

The provider will be responsible for designing and staffing structure and arrangements in detail to allow for flexible and non-prescriptive delivery and to meet the required demand. The provider will be required to develop a tailored package of support with the USAC to enable creative solutions to meet their needs and improve outcomes.

The skills expected from staff and volunteers will include, but not limited to the following:

Be experienced and sufficiently skilled in working with vulnerable USAC

Be able to respond promptly and confidently to safeguarding concerns

Provide support and challenge to USAC

Assertiveness and persistence

Building trust and respect

Empowering and enabling USAC

Solution focused practice

two.2.5) Award criteria

Quality criterion - Name: Experience / Weighting: 5%

Quality criterion - Name: Service Delivery / Weighting: 10%

Quality criterion - Name: UASC Community Education and Training Service / Weighting: 7.5%

Quality criterion - Name: Community Cohesion / Weighting: 4%

Quality criterion - Name: Safeguarding / Weighting: 5%

Quality criterion - Name: Implementation & Mobilisation / Weighting: 2.5%

Quality criterion - Name: Social Value / Weighting: 3%

Quality criterion - Name: Case Study / Weighting: 3%

Price - Weighting: 60%

two.2.6) Estimated value

Value excluding VAT: £650,588

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Start date

1 April 2022

End date

31 March 2024

This contract is subject to renewal

Yes

Description of renewals

The contract term will be from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2024, with an option to extend by 12 months to 31st March 2025 and a further option to extend by 12 months to 31st March 2026

two.2.10) Information about variants

Variants will be accepted: No

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: Yes

Description of options

The contract term will be from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2024, with an option to extend by 12 months to 31st March 2025 and a further option to extend by 12 months to 31st March 2026

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No


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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2021/S 000-013071

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date

25 October 2021

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

Duration in months: 3 (from the date stated for receipt of tender)

four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date

25 October 2021

Local time

12:00pm

Place

Staffordshire County Council Offices

Information about authorised persons and opening procedure

Attendance is limited to the Authorities staff Section


Section six. Complementary information

six.1) Information about recurrence

This is a recurrent procurement: Yes

Estimated timing for further notices to be published: Estimated timing for further notices to be published: 24 months

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

This is an electronic tender. All submission must be made via the formal Contracting Authority electronic tendering platform. All requests for information to be sent through the electronic tendering portal and message facility on the Proactis electronic tendering system. How to register — follow the link to Proactis electronic tendering: https://supplierlive.proactisp2p.com/Account/Login

If you require urgent assistance regarding the initial usage of the e-Tendering package please contact the Contracting Authority point-of-contact in Section I.1 of this notice. On failure to reach this contact, please immediately email the nature of the difficulty to commercial.team@staffordshire.gov.uk This procurement is for a Contract between the appointed providers(s) and the Contracting Authority, to supply predominately services on an ad-hoc call-off basis, as and when required. The Contracting Authority or its public sector partners/Customers makes no guarantee as to the volume of business on offer or to be awarded, and any volumes given are indicative only and intended as a general guide. There is no commitment at the time of tendering from any parties outside of the Contracting Authority and this should be taken into consideration when bidding. Financing / Payment: payments may be made following acceptance by the banking agents of Staffordshire County Council. Legal form of groups of providers: no special legal form is required by the grouping of providers but each provider will be required to become jointly or severally responsible for the contract before acceptance.

For reference the following website outlines the Contracting Authority's policy on the Community Right to Challenge: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement/Community-Right-to-Challenge/Community-Right-to-Challenge.aspx

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Staffordshire County Council

Staffordshire Place 2

Stafford

ST16 2DH

Email

caryl.laffey@staffordshire.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1785854160

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement

six.4.2) Body responsible for mediation procedures

Staffordshire County Council Stafford ST16 2DH United Kingdom

Staffordshire Place 2

Stafford

ST16 2DH

Email

caryl.laffey@staffordshire.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 1785854160

Country

United Kingdom

Internet address

http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/business/procurement

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

The Contracting Authority will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period (or 15 days where non electronic or fax methods are used) at the point that an award decision notice is communicated to tenderers. The award decision process will specify the criteria for the award of the contract, the reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages, the name and score of the successful tender(s), and will specify when the standstill period is expected to end or the date before which the Contracting Authority will not conclude the contract agreement. If an appeal regarding the award of a contract/ framework agreement has not been successfully resolved, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly (generally within 3 months). The Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or may order the Contracting Authority to amend any document and may award damages. If an agreement has been entered into the Court may make a declaration of ineffectiveness or may order that the duration of any relevant specific contract be shortened and additionally may award damages. The time limit for seeking such a declaration is generally 30 days from notification of the award (either by award decision notification or contract award notice depending upon the circumstances) or otherwise 6 months