Design and Evaluation of a Digital Leadership Support Programme for the Welsh Social Care Sector

Contract details

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ID:

157330

OCID:

ocds-kuma6s-155338

Contract type:

Services

Procedure type:

Open

Contract award notice ref:

OCT555550

Internal ref:

Portal Ref: 157330

Contact catergory:

C - Local contract let on behalf of one buyer

Buyer:

Social Care Wales

Primary CPV code:

N/a

Additional CPV code(s):

Is framework:

No

Carbon reduction plan:

Options:

Description:

Background The work responds to the Digital Potential Tool (DPT) – Wales's first national measure of digital maturity and literacy in the social care sector - Understand your digital potential | Social Care Wales. There’s a clear confidence gap in digital leadership, especially in local authorities, 25% of local authority leaders say they rarely or never feel equipped to lead digital change, compared to 10% in the private and third sectors. However, while the independent sector shows more confidence, they also face challenges with strategic planning, consistency, and access to support. Only a third say they always have clear digital plans, and many still report gaps in training and infrastructure. Both groups need tailored support to build leadership confidence and turn digital ambitions into action. The Copilot Readiness Report (ADSS Cymru, March 2025) highlights a wider leadership confidence gap in digital transformation across adult social care. While there is clear enthusiasm for innovation, many leaders, particularly in local authorities, report feeling underprepared to lead change. This is linked to limited awareness of emerging technologies, uncertainty around governance and ethics, and concerns about workforce impact. Even in more agile or digitally mature organisations, translating strategic ambition into practical implementation remains a challenge. The report recommends tailored support for leaders at all levels, including hands-on training, clear national guidance, and peer networks, to build confidence and ensure that digital tools are adopted safely, ethically, and in ways that strengthen person-centred care. The Digital Leadership Support Programme will: - trial different approaches across varied organisational contexts. - gather insights and generate evidence, through built-in evaluation, to inform future support offers. - ensure future investments are grounded in real-world experiences and tailored to sector needs. The programme will also support the national Digital and data strategy for health and social care in Wales [HTML] | GOV.WALES, which emphasises digital leadership to improve outcomes, enhance efficiency, and support independence. Aims and Objectives The aims of the programme are to: - Strengthen confidence and capability among senior leaders and managers across the Welsh social care sector to lead digital change, with a focus on practical application and real-world relevance. - Test and evaluate effective models of digital leadership support, generating practical insights that inform future national support offers. - Create the conditions for sustainable digital transformation ensuring that digital innovation is not just a technical upgrade, but a cultural shift that empowers people, improves services, and strengthens the sector’s resilience for the future. - Address the leadership confidence gap identified by the DPT by fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, supporting leaders to create the conditions for digital transformation within their teams and services. - To contribute to national digital priorities by enabling social care leaders to use digital tools and approaches to improve care outcomes and organisational efficiency. The objectives of the programme are to: - Provide a range of tailored, hands-on, digital leadership support approaches across diverse organisational contexts (e.g. local authorities, third sector, private sector) to help organisations identify, test and learn from small-scale digital improvements. - Strengthen collaboration and shared learning across organisations, sectors and regions through peer learning and cross-organisational activities. - Embed robust evaluation mechanisms and reflection to capture impact, inform future investment, and support long-term development. - Generate insights to shape future support by testing what works, for whom, and in what context - ensuring that future digital leadership development is evidence-

Purchasing team:

N/a

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Contract dates

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Date awarded:

22 October 2025

Start date:

03 November 2025

End date:

03 April 2026

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Contract extensions

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Max extension options available:

0 (months)

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Additional information

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Additional information:

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Contact details

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Contract name:

Procurement Team

Contract email:

N/a

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