Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
Contact
CIC Commissioning
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKJ4 - Kent
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.1) Name and addresses
Medway Council
Gun Wharf, Dock Road
Chatham
ME4 4TR
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKJ4 - Kent
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
one.2) Information about joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
one.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
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
Kent and Medway Independent Fostering Framework Agreement
Reference number
DN567302
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
- EA02 - For children
- EA03 - For teenager
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
Kent County Council and Medway Council are seeking to commission from Independent Fostering Providers a range of stable, high-quality foster care homes for children 0-18 years old that value, support and encourage them to grow and develop as individuals. In addition to promoting their health and general well-being the Providers need to be committed to ensuring that their foster carers recognise the importance of the educational achievement of Children in Care and work with us in raising their academic attainment.
The aims of the service will be to:
• Enable access to a wide range of foster care placement types from registered, good quality IFP’s
• Improve placement stability supported by effective matching
• Exhibit strong collaboration and partnership working to ensure the child’s needs and outcomes are at the centre of the work
• Demonstrate the involvement of the child ensuring their voice is heard and listened to through participation in decision making (where appropriate)
• Demonstrate effective and efficient communication to support placement finding
Further information regarding this opportunity is contained within the Invitation to Tender documents. Please follow this link to register your interest in this opportunity and gain automatic access to the Invitation to Tender online: https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
Maximum number of lots that may be awarded to one tenderer: 3
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 1
Lot No
1
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
• Short Term/Task Centred/Bridging, up to 12 months
• Long Term or permanent homes (as per the Care/Placement Plan; 12 months and over)
• Parent(s) and Child(ren)
• Short Break Homes
• Children with Disabilities
• Solo homes, with no other children/young people within the fostering household.
• Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together.
• Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2022
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) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 2
Lot No
2
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
A small number of our children and young people in care, are placed within a residential children’s home due to the complexity of their needs during a specific period in their childhood. For some, past adverse family experiences may lead to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2022
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) Description
two.2.1) Title
Lot 3
Lot No
3
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85300000 - Social work and related services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKJ4 - Kent
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
We are seeking specialist foster carers, predominantly for adolescents. For some, past adverse family experiences may have led to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk.
These young people:
• may be stepping down from residential care or
• more likely requiring a fostering home at short notice (similar to an Emergency Bed).
The foster carers will need to care for a young person with complex needs and potentially a number of risk-taking behaviours which may include violence, absconding, offending and gang association. It is expected that these would be predominately a solo arrangement.
The level of complexity and need of these young people are above the thresholds that the Placing Authorities would source as part of an enhanced placement through its IFP Fostering Framework Agreement. It is anticipated that only a very small number of these young people would require this type of fostering home in any given year.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start date
1 April 2022
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
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
four.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system
The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement
Framework agreement with several operators
Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 50
In the case of framework agreements, provide justification for any duration exceeding 4 years:
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 000-023218
four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date
4 January 2022
Local time
12:00pm
four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
English
four.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date
4 January 2022
Local time
12:00pm
Section six. Complementary information
six.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement: No
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
Country
United Kingdom