Permanency Service for Children and Young People in Peterborough

Peterborough City Council anticipates undertaking a procurement exercise for the provision of a new Permanency Service in Peterborough. The purpose of the proposed procurement exercise will be to appoint a provider who meets minimum statutory requirements as set out under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 (Relevant Care Functions) (England) Regulations 2014. In relation to adoption services, the provider must be registered as an adoption agency. Permanency Service for Children and Young People in Peterborough who would otherwise be in care were they not living in permanent family arrangements as provided through Adoption, Special Guardianship or Child Arrangement Orders. The new Permanency Service will also promote the safe return of children and young people to the care of their parents where this is deemed safe and in the child’s best interest. Services shall include, but not limited to the following; •Recruit foster carers and adopters on behalf of Peterborough City Council;

Provide training and support to foster carers and adopters on a 24/7 basis on behalf of Peterborough City Council;

•Arrange and provide foster placements to Peterborough City Council for children and young people in care;

•Arrange adoptive placements on behalf of Peterborough City Council and provide post adoption support;

•Encourage and support carers to apply for Special Guardianship and/or Child Arrangement Orders in order to secure permanency for the child or young person concerned; •Provide support to carers who have children living with them on Special Guardianship and/or Child Arrangement Orders;

•Provide a social work service to children and young people placed ‘permanently’ with their foster carers, once such placements have been approved by the appropriate Panel; •Provide an assessment and support function for children and young people looked after for a period of 28 days or more and who return to their parents’ care; •Provide leaving and aftercare services to young people remaining with their former foster carers under ‘Staying Put’ arrangements;

•Be responsible for the operation of all Panels and act as Agency Decision Maker.

The Council is inviting organisations to participate (be Participants) in Supplier Engagement or soft market consultations. The aim of which is to provide information on the business opportunities likely to be commissioned by this potential procurement exercise. Participants are invited to respond to the questions as part of this exercise which are available on the Council’s e-tendering system Supplier Force at this link https://secure.supplierforce.com/RFXs/Edit.asp?RFXId=961 The deadline to respond to this exercise is 11th January 2016.

The purpose of the Supplier Engagement or the soft market consultation is for the Council to gather the views of the market to inform the procurement processThe overall spend on the proposed Permanency service in Peterborough is estimated to be £10 million GBP per annum.