Independent Specialist Provision for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - CA&FS - CSC/2023/687*

Since September 2024 Stoke on Trent City Council has commissioned Independent Specialist Provision (ISP) for children and young people including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) via a flexible framework.

The ISP Framework in due to re-open for new and existing providers to join in April 2026.

The ISP Framework:

• Supports the vision of keeping children and young people local (inclusive of those with additional needs)
• Ensures that the council meets its statutory responsibilities
• Provides support and allows local non-maintained education provision the opportunity to sit on the Framework
• Supports the Council to ensure sufficient placements for our children.
• Ensures the Council can build positive working relationships and offer support to Providers.

The Council is inviting applicants to tender to join the framework for the following:

• Lot 1 - Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) & Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
• Lot 2 - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMH)
• Lot 3 - Cognition & Learning & Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD)
• Lot 4 - Sever Learning Disability (SLD) & Profound and Multiple Learning Disability (PMLD)
• Lot 5 - Hearing Impairment (HI) & Visionary Impairment (VI) Providers may apply for one or more lots depending on the scale and flexibility of their offer.

Providers need not be based in Stoke-on-Trent, but the specialist school shall be based in Stoke-on-Trent, or within a reasonable travelling distance.