Procurement description
Contract Details
This procurement process is intended to appoint a contract for a three-year period. The start date will be 21 August 2026.
We are looking for therapy provision equalling 8 days per week across OTP for 36 weeks per year during term time.
Additionally, we are looking for hours equivalent to 6 days per year for CPD for staff. This must include having availability outside term time to support staff training days and any other related activity. Please note, this includes the end of August due to start dates of Leicestershire schools.
Procurement Process
If your firm wishes to tender for this work, we would be grateful to receive an electronic copy of your proposal by Monday 16th February 2026 at 5pm at the latest. This should include evidence as to how you will meet the below requirements:
Requirements
The Contractor is required to provide the following services as part of the contract:
● An appropriately qualified Occupational Therapist with the appropriate legal registration.
● The Therapist will need arrangements for clinical supervision from a suitably qualified practitioner to support their work.
● The organisation or Therapist should have the appropriate policies and insurance in place:
○ Employers' liability insurance: £2 million
○ Professional insurance liability: £2 million
○ Data protection, code of conduct, and safeguarding policies.
● The therapist will be required to follow school policies in relation to engagement and interaction as well as learning, unless this is in conflict with their own policies in which case this must be declared and a meeting to discuss remedial action may occur.
● A good knowledge of the current challenges within special education.
● Experience of working in a special school or similar environment.
● Keeping up to date with recent research and codes of practice.
● Maintaining links with the Royal College Occupational Therapists and other professionals working in similar environments with young people.
Work/support arrangements required as directed by the Headteachers of the respective schools
● To provide occupational therapy provision across OTP academies to support pupils as directed by the CEO and/or School Leadership Teams to include:
○ Direct 1:1 occupational therapy
○ Small group therapy for focussed identified issues
○ Supporting staff to develop an understanding of vestibular, proprioceptive and interoceptive input when supporting our children and young people
● Facilitating a whole school approach to language and communication:
○ Devising and delivering training programmes and practical workshops for staff
○ Working collaboratively with teaching and support staff to ensure good practice is threaded throughout every day
○ Giving advice for school based staff
○ Support the development of vestibular, proprioceptive and interoceptive input within the curriculum so that good practice is embedded across the curriculum and supported in long term and medium term planning
○ Working collaboratively with school staff and the families of the children and young people including providing recommendations.
● Carrying out assessments and writing reports. It is anticipated that this aspect of the role will be kept to a reasonable minimum so that time within school supporting improving practice is prioritised
○ Contributions to multi disciplinary meeting e.g. annual reviews
○ Contributions to pupils progress reports where required
Through the above requirements this will result in:
○ provision of high quality specialist support, enabling classroom based staff to have a greater understanding of the needs of the children and young people within each school
○ partnership with the therapist to deliver bespoke, high quality, and evidence based programmes and resources to address the needs of the young people.
○ improvement in pupils' engagement and learning
○ pupils having the confidence to access resources, supporting improvement in engagement with learning which may have been compounded by sensory .