Procurement description
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (the “Council”) is seeking to commission a suitably qualified and experienced provider to deliver a Systemic Practice Training Programme for Children’s Services.
The purpose of the contract is to support the design, mobilisation, delivery, and embedding of a structured training programme that will enable the Council to adopt and sustain systemic practice across Early Help and Children’s Social Care. The programme will align with existing approaches, including trauma-informed practice and the Council’s restorative model (‘Connecting Families’), and will support delivery of the Families First Reforms.
The successful provider will:
In collaboration with Solihull Children’s Services, develop a detailed and deliverable implementation plan by undertaking a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of workforce needs. The insights gained must directly inform the design, development and phased delivery of a tailored systemic practice training programme;
Deliver a comprehensive training offer to front-facing practitioners (including social workers, family support staff, and related roles);
Deliver a Systemic Leadership Programme for senior leaders and managers;
Support the embedding of systemic practice at organisational level, including cultural change, reflective practice, and supervision;
Provide mechanisms for evaluation, knowledge transfer, and sustainability beyond the life of the contract.
The Council’s objective is to establish a consistent, evidence-informed practice model that:
Strengthens relational, reflective, and whole-family working;
Improves the quality of practice and engagement with children, young people, and families;
Supports improved outcomes and continuous service improvement in line with Ofsted expectations.
Providers must demonstrate that all systemic practice training is either accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) or clearly aligned to AFT training standards
The contract is funded through the Families First Reforms Grant, with an initial term of 12 months and the option to extend for up to a further two years (1+1), subject to funding confirmation.
The estimated total contract value is up to £450,000 (excluding VAT) over the full potential term.
Further details will be published in the tender notice and please note the Council intends to have a short tender window of 3 weeks. Details subject to change.