Scope
Description
Suffolk County Council are conducting Pre Market Engagement prior to the procurement of the services of Complaints Investigators.
Suffolk County Council has statutory responsibilities around the appropriate investigation of complaints. This notice outlines the approach to procurement of those services.
Suffolk County Council runs three complaint processes. Statutory children's social care procedures, statutory adult social care procedures and its own Corporate Complaints Policy.
These processes have clear steps that must be followed and timescales to adhere to.
As part of these processes, it is often mandatory that a person external to the council undertakes an investigate.
As part of the statutory children's social care procedures, a complainant has the right to a Review Panel (Stage 3). Complaint Review Panels are made up of 3 people who have experience in social care or related professions but who are independent from the Council.
Independent investigators and independent people fulfil the independent element of Local Authority complaints investigated under statutory children's social care procedures (The Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006) and under statutory adult social care procedures (The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009).
Suffolk County Council may on occasions also decide to investigate non-statutory matters of complaint at Stage 2 of its Corporate Complaint policy. Whilst it is not obliged to supply somebody independent of the local authority for such investigations, it can be a useful step in complaint resolution and provide the Council with an independent view.
The application and management of these processes and procedures is overseen by the councils Customer Rights Service.
In order to reduce the risk of non-compliance with the relevant processes and procedures, the council are seeking a trusted supplier who can deliver independent people for the aforementioned processes. Such services exist nationally and are used by numerous local authorities.
The council may look to contract with one or more company, allowing it to align subject specific work to the correct company and limit its risk around supplier failure.
The scope of this procurement may change on findings from the Premarket Engagement.
Total value (estimated)
- £240,000 excluding VAT
- £288,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 31 December 2025 to 30 December 2027
- Possible extension to 30 December 2028
- 3 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79212300 - Statutory audit services
Contract locations
- UKH14 - Suffolk
Engagement
Engagement deadline
8 October 2025
Engagement process description
Suffolk County Council propose to hold informal sessions with interested parties via Teams on 08 October 2025.
Each session will last approximately 30 mins in which Suffolk County Council will briefly set out what it is looking for, then invite each supplier to respond and pose any questions they might have about the contract or the procurement.
Note that the consultation may be recorded or notes taken to ensure that the resulting tender pack provides information such that all bidders have the same information and no potential bidder unable to make the dates is disadvantaged.
Suffolk county Council would like to explore the following topics.
Suppliers' ability to meet statutory requirements and understanding of relevant legislation (including ability to evidence the satisfaction of relevant timescales outlines with legislation)
Existing work with other LAs at County Level, and satisfaction of service level agreements.
How many live investigations the supplier has capacity to carry out.
Any speciality areas they work in.
Evidence of value for money.
Interested parties should contact Jamie Swinyard
Participation
Particular suitability
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)
Contracting authority
Suffolk County Council
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PHVH-1657-HHMV
Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2BX
United Kingdom
Region: UKH14 - Suffolk
Organisation type: Public authority - sub-central government