Children's Rights and Advocacy Services

This opportunity offers capable suppliers the opportunity to work with vulnerable young people, supporting them during their time in custody and aiding them to better understand and exercise their rights.

The service is underpinned by five intended outcomes, these are:

• children and young people in STCs and YOIs are able to identify and freely access independent children's rights and advocacy services,
• children and young people in STCs and YOIs are provided with the skills to enable them to advocate for themselves and are supported at every opportunity to do so,
• children and young people in STCs and YOIs, who have complex needs and are unable or not wishing represent themselves, are supported,
• the voice of children and young people in STCs and YOIs is heard in particular at key periods where the service provider has been made aware of those who are vulnerable and in crisis, through access to proactive children's rights and advocacy services,
• raising awareness of the issues facing Children and Young People in custody in order to promote resolution and prevention at a local and systemic level.

There is a clear expectation that any Provider of children's rights and advocacy services will strive to continuously put the needs of the young people and to be flexible in responding to the demands of those young people.

This opportunity includes the provision of children's rights and advocacy services to young people under the age of 18 held in custody, with the exception of those children and young people held in Secure Children's Homes which is not in scope, including in the following secure establishments:

• Oakhill STC: accommodating a maximum of 80 young people, located in Milton Keynes,
• Rainsbrook STC: accommodating a maximum of 87 young people, located in Warwickshire,
• Medway STC: accommodating a maximum of 76 young people, located in Kent,
• Cookham Wood YOI: accommodating a maximum of 188 young people, all male, in Kent,
• Feltham YOI: accommodating a maximum of 180 young people, all male, in Middlesex,
• Werrington YOI: accommodating a maximum of 160 young people, all male, in Stoke-on-Trent,
• Wetherby YOI: accommodating a maximum of 336 young people, all male, in West Yorkshire.

This Prior Information Notice is intended to make capable suppliers of children's rights and advocacy services aware of the forthcoming opportunity to provide these services within the justice sector and to commence a market engagement process with interested suppliers. This will involve individual sessions with interested suppliers, followed by a wider engagement event closer to the date of contract notice publication.

The market engagement process will be intended to help shape the ensuing procurement strategy including the contract length and the number of suppliers desired to deliver the service. If you are interested in participating in the market engagement sessions please contact Matthew Hurley (matthew.hurley1@justice.gov.uk).

Additional information:

If you are interested in taking part in the market engagement sessions please contact Matthew Hurley (matthew.hurley1@justice.gov.uk) and Krishanthy Narayanamoorthy (krishanthy.narayanamoorthy@justice.gov.uk)