The Provision of Independent Fostering Agency Services

Fourteen (14) local authorities: Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset Council, Isle of Wight Council, Poole Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Reading Borough Council, Slough Children’s Services Trust, Wokingham Borough Council, Bracknell Forest Council, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and West Berkshire Council, (thereby referred to as The Councils) are working together to improve placement choice and quality for the children and young people they look after.

In order to improve placement choice and quality, the Councils wish to work in partnership with a number of providers who can demonstrate that they have the ability to deliver high quality independent foster care services, and work in partnership to ensure a range of placements are available based within or near the Councils boundaries.

Estimated total value is £200million - £400million.

This procurement is being run pursuant to Regulations 74, 75 & 76 of Chapter 3 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. In respect of each Lot, the procured services will be provided under a multi-provider framework agreement with a term of four (4) years.

Annually during the Framework Agreement Term, providers of fostering services similar to, or the same as the Services who are not Framework Providers including those that have previously applied and failed to become a Framework Provider will be given a further opportunity to obtain a place on the fostering framework arrangements of which this Framework Agreement forms a part. The Purchasers will advertise this opportunity before the second and third anniversaries of the Commencement Date and will place the advertisements in Southampton City Council’s E-tendering portal – Curtis Fitch, the Official Journal of European Union (OJEU) and Contract Finder.

Additional information: This procurement is being managed by Capita Business Services Limited (“Capita”) on behalf of Southampton City Council under a Strategic Services Partnership. Both Capita and Southampton City Council are delivering this procurement on behalf of the Councils.

The contract between Southampton City Council (Lead Purchaser) and Capita provides for tenders and all information submitted in response to this invitation to tender to be treated as confidential by Capita and not to be used for any other purpose than the provision of services to the Council under the Strategic Services Partnership.

The Councils are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (the Information Acts) and all correspondence received from Bidders may be subject to disclosure in accordance with the Information Acts. If any tenderer considers that any of the information it submits to the Councils is exempt from disclosure under the Information Acts then this should be stated in writing at the time the information is supplied together with the reason for considering it exempt. On receipt of an information request relating to the information considered exempt the Councils will, where reasonably practicable, consult with the relevant tenderer in considering any request for disclosure before disclosing such information. However, in submitting any information to the Councils Bidders accept and acknowledge that the Councils may, acting in accordance with the Information Acts and associated codes of practice, disclose information:

• a.without consulting the relevant tenderer, or
• b.following consultation with the tenderer and having taken its views into account.