Scope
Reference
SWE10547
Description
Social Work England are looking for Supplier/s to prepare cases for Fitness to Practise hearings or meetings and to ensure the presentation of cases before a panel of independent adjudicators.
Social Work England currently spends circa £6m per annum on its legal provider for investigation and advocacy services in Fitness to Practise.
We expect this level of spend to continue for the first year of the contract, with the potential for the annual value to increase in subsequent years. The volume of new cases each year of the contract is estimated at 150. In addition, we currently have over 400 cases awaiting a hearing.
Total value (estimated)
- £34,083,330.33 excluding VAT
- £40,900,000 including VAT
Above the relevant threshold
Contract dates (estimated)
- 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029
- Possible extension to 31 March 2031
- 5 years
Main procurement category
Services
CPV classifications
- 79100000 - Legal services
Contract locations
- UKE3 - South Yorkshire
Engagement
Engagement deadline
1 August 2025
The engagement was carried out before this notice was published.
Engagement process description
This engagement set out to understand the current availability and skill set available by Fitness to Practise specialists.
Social Work England presented to suppliers in July, from there 121 meetings occurred to gain feedback from interested suppliers.
Submission
Publication date of tender notice (estimated)
14 December 2025
Contracting authority
Social Work England
- Public Procurement Organisation Number: PZYZ-1666-HXBQ
1 North Bank, Blonk Street
Sheffield
S3 8JY
United Kingdom
Region: UKE32 - Sheffield
Organisation type: Public authority - central government