Delivering core services to improve support offered to children and young people with SEND and their families

Universal Support (1 contract)

This contract aims to improve the quality of teaching to children and young people with SEND, particularly within mainstream settings (both schools and further education). It will ensure needs are identified and met earlier and more effectively, and that preparation for adulthood is delivered from the earliest stages, to support effective transitions, including into employment. This will be delivered through SEND-specific CPD, alongside greater access to specialist expertise. It will build on training which the teaching workforce receives through reforms to Initial Teacher Training, the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications, by providing SEND-specific support at the point of need.

Participation and Family Support (2 contracts)

The first contract aims to empower children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers to make informed choices about the provision available to them. It also aims to support them to influence SEND policy at local, regional and national level so that services and provision can be designed and delivered in a way that works for children and young people. This will be achieved through continuing to support local participation and coproduction arrangements through the development of Parent Carer Forums and children and young people's participation at a local level; and through improving the strategic participation of children and young people and their parents and carers in regional and national SEND policy and delivery. It will also support the provision of high-quality information, advice and support for families whose children have SEND, including through a national helpline. The successful provider will be responsible for administering grants (including due diligence and monitoring) to up to 152 Parent Carer Forums, in line with current arrangements.

The second contract is for a Strategic Reform Partner. This aims to deliver strategic communication between the DfE and the SEND sector and to provide expert policy advice to the department. It also aims to facilitate and support the DfE to participate in a range of meaningful stakeholder engagement and feedback opportunities across the SEND sector.

Targeted Support (1 Contract with 3 lots - suppliers can bid for 1, a combination or all)

Aims to consolidate and accelerate the targeted support, oversight and challenge provided to local areas including:

A two-strand Adviser support comprising an extended SEND Adviser service continuing the offer of providing professional support and challenge to poorly performing local areas, with additional advisers with expertise in specific areas such as diagnostics, finance, and organisational change. A second strand includes an efficiency adviser service aimed at addressing DSG deficits providing an offer of dedicated financial efficiency support.

A suite of targeted delivery support comprising: bespoke practice model and statutory duty delivery training; senior leadership development and support; and the provision of tailored local improvement support with the level and type/package of support offered dependent on need.

Learning systems development comprising research, development and dissemination of resources, including effective practice exemplars, to build an evidence base for best practice within the sector. Additional information: The Department wishes to assess market capability and capacity to administer and deliver a response. Details of a virtual pre-market engagement event will be given at a later date to all those who have registered.

Please register an interest in attending (max two per organisation) to:sendbaea.commercial@education.gov.uk by 19th July 2021

SCHEDULED DATE FOR PUBLICATION OF CONTRACT NOTICE: Estimated September 2021

START AND END DATES OF THE CONTRACT: April 2022 - March 2025

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (Maximum 4000 characters including spaces):

This notice does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services for the Department. The procurement of any services will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The purpose of this PIN is to stimulate early market interest and invite interested parties to take part in preliminary market consultations.

As part of the market engagement, we wish to test views on areas such as:

Whether you believe you have the capacity to successfully manage these potential opportunities?

Whether you believe you have the expertise to successfully manage these potential opportunities?

Whether you have any other provision/ contracts/ grants with any other government department?

Would you expect to submit a tender as a single supplier, consortium, framework, lots, managed service or any other appropriate vehicle?

Whether you feel there are any issues or challenges in delivering these potential opportunities?

How you would see your business model working with the proposed tendering opportunities?

Whether there are other opportunities to improve provision offered for children and young people with SEND and their families which could be included in these programmes?

Whether you have specific suggestions for how the opportunities could be delivered to ensure the greatest impact on children and young people with SEND?

With all government departments driving for continual efficiencies, forward looking for challenges/risks and delivering savings, do you feel these requirements are achievable within the range of estimated values provided above?

Responses can be for any one of the procurements, or all of them, depending on your interest.