Children with Complex Lives

The Participating Authorities are working together to commission residential services for children and young people with complex lives. We want to find new ways to develop effective partnerships with providers to meet the needs of this group of children and young people. The authorities are developing this procurement based on a strategic needs analysis and it is designed to help address part of the sufficiency challenges they are experiencing.

Central to the specification is a plan to develop a model of residential care based on an effective relationship between the Participating Authorities and provider(s). We are looking to co-produce innovative care through a relationship in which all parties bring their skills, expertise and imagination to a shared mission, underpinned by a shared set of values and beliefs.

A critical element of the care for children will be the way that care helps them to develop and maintain a network of supportive relationships which will continue into their adulthood. We are very keen that this should include, wherever possible, relationships with their birth families, close and distant, as well as friends within their communities. The ability of children to make and sustain these relationships will be a key criterion for assessing the success of the care, along with other outcomes, particularly education and training.

A key element of this procurement is that the Participating Authorities want to develop a relationship with a provider or group of providers that will help them to deliver better outcomes for the children and young people placed. We understand that for this to be successful we need to recognise the reciprocal nature of the arrangement and that it will only work if all parties fulfil their obligations. Measuring the success of this outcome will be complex. The Contract has been developed to offer the opportunity to expand and develop the capacity (in line with paragraph 4.5 below) and meet the needs of the children and young people referred by the participating authorities.

Additional information:

Please see supporting documentation

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No