Section one: Contracting authority
one.1) Name and addresses
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UK - United Kingdom
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Education
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Kinship Carer Training
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The services relate to the Department’s aim to procure a package of training, information, support and advice for kinship carers in England. This is in response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (Care Review) call on Government to deliver a training and information package of support for kinship carers and their families.
Kinship carers are relatives or friends who raise children who cannot safely remain with their parents. Across the UK more than 150,000 children are living with kinship carers – significantly more than are in the care system and many more than are adopted, making kinship care an important element of the children’s social care system.
These children have often suffered similar adversities to those in the care system. These include parental substance misuse or mental or physical incapacity, domestic violence, imprisonment, teenage parenthood, parental separation or death. Child protection concerns are common. At least 20% of children raised in kinship care are affected by some degree of emotional and behavioural difficulties1.
The charity Kinship’s 2022 annual survey “The Cost of Loving”2, found that the provision of local authority support and information for kinship carers is inadequate, risking significant costs for children, families, and the state. The survey found that 78% of carers felt they did not receive the support they needed from their local authority in order to meet the needs of their kinship child(ren), an eight-percentage point increase on last year’s survey. It also found that less than a third of carers received information about being a kinship carer before or shortly after the child moved in, and only 28% had been signposted to other places they could access support.
There is currently no national training and support offer for kinship carers, and what does exist is highly variable across different local authorities. Some organisations within the sector offer support, however none of that support is funded by the government. Some kinship carers attend foster carer training; however, the training isn’t tailored to their specific needs (e.g. managing contact with a birth parent is different for a foster carer vs. a kinship carer).
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £2,924,771.02
two.2) Description
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 80400000 - Adult and other education services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UK - United Kingdom
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
for the services of training, information, support and advice for kinship carers in England.
two.2.5) Award criteria
Price
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
2 x 1 year options
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: 2023/S 000-012876
Section five. Award of contract
Title
Kinship Carer Training
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
17 October 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
Number of tenders received: 3
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor
Grandparents Plus t/a Kinship
London
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UK - United Kingdom
The contractor is an SME
Yes
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot: £2,924,771.02
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Country
United Kingdom