Supporting Progress and Inclusion

Dorset Council's ambition is to support all children and young people in their journey to adulthood with underpinning principles of early help, personalisation and inclusion, enabling them to achieve their chosen outcomes. We support children and young people through a focus on the best education for all our children and young people, our localities model and inclusion within our mainstream educational settings.

The Framework will ensure that Dorset Council is able to arrange suitable education or training provision for children and young people where it is needed. The need for such provision can arise for a number of reasons, including those set out under the government definition of Alternative provision: education arranged by local authorities for pupils who, because of exclusion, illness, or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education; education arranged by schools for pupils on a fixed period exclusion; and where support is required for behavioural or other needs.

This Framework is part of a new model of alternative provision, where such provision is used where it is needed, and is high quality enabling children and young people to make progress. Where children and young people can transition back into mainstream provision or onto a post 16 pathway, we are making it clear that alternative provision is a short-term intervention for re-engagement and support, that it is not a destination.

The Framework shall comprise of the following Lots:

1. Ofsted registered Alternative Provision

2. Inclusion support

3. Re-engagement

4. Teaching

5. Progress to settled adulthood

The Council's new delivery model is in line with the broad direction of the government's published proposals for SEND and alternative provision; it will however require changes to respond to the national requirements which are likely to be in around 2 years' time. A framework length of 2 years plus an optional 2 x 1 year extension, and a clear expectation in the tender that providers will respond to future national changes, provides the ability for Dorset Council to make changes as required. The Framework will run from September 2022.

Tenderers may apply to enter this Open Framework at any time during the period of the Framework and the Council will evaluate applications each school term ahead of any call-off requirements.

Educational establishments in the Dorset Council area may access and call-off from the framework using Lot 2 only. This includes all schools maintained by Local Authorities, Academies, Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units as listed here: Schools and Academies Search Results | Dorset FID (dorsetcouncil.gov.uk). https://familyinformationdirectory.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/kb5/dorset/fsd/results.page?familychannel=301&sortfield=title&sorttype=field&term

There is no limit on suppliers that will be admitted to the Framework.