Contract notice
Section I: Contracting
authority
I.1) Name and addresses
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
UK
Contact person: Ms Orla Miller
Telephone: +44 3000412878
E-mail: orla.miller@kent.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ4
Internet address(es)
Main address: http://www.kent.gov.uk
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.kent.gov.uk
I.1) Name and addresses
Medway Council
Chatham
UK
E-mail: caroline.friday@medway.gov.uk
NUTS: UKJ4
Internet address(es)
Main address: https://www.medway.gov.uk/
I.2) Joint procurement
The contract involves joint procurement
I.3) Communication
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge at:
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
Additional information can be obtained from the abovementioned address
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent electronically to:
https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
I.4) Type of the contracting authority
Regional or local authority
I.5) Main activity
General public services
Section II: Object
II.1) Scope of the procurement
II.1.1) Title
Kent and Medway Independent Fostering Framework Agreement
Reference number: DN567302
II.1.2) Main CPV code
85300000
II.1.3) Type of contract
Services
II.1.4) Short description
Kent County Council and Medway Council are seeking to commission from Independent Fostering Providers a range of stable, high-quality foster care homes for children 0-18 years old that value, support and encourage them to grow and develop as individuals. In addition to promoting their health and general well-being the Providers need to be committed to ensuring that their foster carers recognise the importance of the educational achievement of Children in Care and work with us in raising their academic attainment.
The aims of the service will be to:
• Enable access to a wide range of foster care placement types from registered, good quality IFP’s
• Improve placement stability supported by effective matching
• Exhibit strong collaboration and partnership working to ensure the child’s
II.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots:
Yes
Tenders may be submitted for all lots
Maximum number of lots that may be awarded to one tenderer: 3
II.2) Description
Lot No: 1
II.2.1) Title
Lot 1
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85300000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ4
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
• Short Term/Task Centred/Bridging, up to 12 months
• Long Term or permanent homes (as per the Care/Placement Plan; 12 months and over)
• Parent(s) and Child(ren)
• Short Break Homes
• Children with Disabilities
• Solo homes, with no other children/young people within the fostering household.
• Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together.
• Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.
- Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together.
- Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
/ Weighting: 100
Price
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/04/2024
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Lot No: 2
II.2.1) Title
Lot 2
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85300000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ4
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
A small number of our children and young people in care, are placed within a residential children’s home due to the complexity of their needs during a specific period in their childhood. For some, past adverse family experiences may lead to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
/ Weighting: 100
Price
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/04/2024
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Lot No: 3
II.2.1) Title
Lot 3
II.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
85300000
II.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS code:
UKJ4
II.2.4) Description of the procurement
We are seeking specialist foster carers, predominantly for adolescents. For some, past adverse family experiences may have led to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk.
These young people:
• may be stepping down from residential care or
• more likely requiring a fostering home at short notice (similar to an Emergency Bed).
The foster carers will need to care for a young person with complex needs and potentially a number of risk-taking behaviours which may include violence, absconding, offending and gang association. It is expected that these would be predominately a solo arrangement.
The level of complexity and need of these young people are above the thresholds that the Placing Authorities would source as part of an enhanced placement through its IFP Fostering Framework Agreement. It is anticipated that only a very small number of these young people would require this type of fostering home in any given year.
II.2.5) Award criteria
Criteria below:
Quality criterion: Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement documents
/ Weighting: 100
Price
II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Start:
01/04/2024
This contract is subject to renewal: No
II.2.9) Information about the limits on the number of candidates to be invited
II.2.10) Information about variants
Variants will be accepted:
No
II.2.11) Information about options
Options:
No
II.2.13) Information about European Union funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds:
No
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1) Description
IV.1.1) Type of procedure
Open procedure
IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement:
Yes
IV.2) Administrative information
IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure
Notice number in the OJ S:
2021/S 000-028793
IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate
Date:
23/02/2024
Local time: 16:00
IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted
EN
IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders
Date:
28/02/2024
Local time: 14:00
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.1) Information about recurrence
This is a recurrent procurement:
No
VI.4) Procedures for review
VI.4.1) Review body
Kent County Council
Sessions House
Maidstone
ME14 1XQ
UK
VI.5) Date of dispatch of this notice
30/01/2024