Tayside Procurement Consortium

Fairmuir Depot, 365 Clepington Road

Dundee

DD8 3DZ

UK

Contact person: Julie Thompson

Telephone: +44 1382834024

E-mail: julie.thompson@dundeecity.gov.uk

NUTS: UKM7

Internet address(es)

Main address: http://www.taysideprocurement.gov.uk

Address of the buyer profile: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA12382

II.1.1) Title

Reference number: TPC/Counssch/20/11

II.1.2) Main CPV code

85300000

II.1.3) Type of contract

Services

II.1.4) Short description

Scottish Government announced funding in August 2019 for qualified counsellors to be delivering counselling in schools. Counselling

should be available to secondary school pupils (primarily), and primary and special schools in communities for pupils aged 10 and over.

The focus will be on one:one direct counselling.

II.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: 2 652 984.00  GBP

II.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

III.1.1) Suitability to pursue the professional activity, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers

List and brief description of conditions:

ESPD 4C2

Counsellors/Counselling:

The counselling support provided should conform to agreed professional standards, such as those provided by COSCA and BACP (or

equivalent), and current best practice for school based counselling, specifically in respect of counsellors qualifications, supervision policy,

child protection policies and continuous professional development and learning.

Counsellors can be qualified in other therapies but must be competent to practice with children and young people they must be qualified in counselling and registered with BACP/COSCA (or equivalent).

All counsellors are expected to have supervision in line with their professional body’s recommendations.

III.1.2) Economic and financial standing

List and brief description of selection criteria:

To provide us with the confidence that the supplier can deliver the requirements of the contract, the following financial indicators will be

used based on your last 2 years audited accounts:

ESPD 4B.6/4B.6.1

To provide us with the confidence that the Provider can deliver the requirements of the contract, the following financial indicators will be

used based on your last 2 years audited accounts:

Tenderers will be required to provide/state the value(s) for the following financial ratio(s):

- Net profit for both financial years; if there has been a loss in any one year the tenderer must provide an explanation of the specific

circumstances leading to the loss.

- Current ratio equal to or greater than one in both financial years. Reasons for not meeting the required test to be disclosed by tenderers

together with appropriate supporting evidence to confirm the suitability of the tenderer for the contract.

- Positive Gearing Ratio for both financial years. i.e. an excess of shareholders funds/partners' capital accounts/owners equity over loan

finance in both of the financial years. Reasons for not meeting the required test to be disclosed by tenderers together with appropriate

supporting evidence to confirm the suitability of the tenderer for the contract.

- Positive shareholders funds/positive partners’ capital accounts/positive owners equity (whichever is applicable to the type of business) in

both of the financial years.

- Unqualified audit report (if an audit is required).

The Main Provider is responsible for ensuring the suitability of

sub-contractors, including financial standing, for the proposed services.

Where a Tenderer does not meet these requirements further details should be provided to confirm why, and TPC may undertake additional

financial checks and a qualitative judgement shall be made as to the financial capacity of the Tenderer.

Parent company guarantee - With reference to the economic and financial standing criteria above, the Purchaser reserves the right in its sole

discretion to waive these minimum requirements in the case of Bidders who are able to offer the Purchaser adequate substitute surety to our

entire satisfaction. By way of example only (but without limitation), adequate substitute surety may be an unqualified guarantee for the

performance of the Bidder’s entire obligations under the contract to follow on this process by a parent or associated company established in

the UK and which parent or associated company does meet the minimum requirements set out in these criteria.

The Parent Company will be required to satisfy the same criteria detailed above.

New Businesses: Please see Tender documentation for full details.

Minimum level(s) of standards required:

Employer's Liability Insurance: 10,000,000 GBP in respect of each claim..

Public Liability Insurance: 5,000,000 GBP in respect of each claim.

Professional Indemnity/Medical Malpractice Insurance: where Tenderer’s Insurers assess that this is required - 150,000 GBP in the

aggregate.

Vehicle Insurance Cover: Provider responsible for ensuring that motor insurance if staff or volunteers who use their own vehicles have

business use insurance covered. If carrying service users includes, includes business use and personal accident cover for passengers.

III.1.3) Technical and professional ability

List and brief description of selection criteria:

ESPD 4C.1.2

Scottish Government publication, “Guidance for Education Authorities Establishing Access to Counselling in Secondary Schools” which

was published in March 2020

“The counselling service is a universally accessible service and should be available to all secondary school pupils and primary, ASN school

pupils aged 10 and over.”

“Formal counselling should be undertaken by a professional counsellor, acting in their specialist role, and in accordance with a strict code

of ethics, which requires confidentially, accountability and clinical supervision.”

Minimum level(s) of standards required:

Providers must be experienced in delivering Counselling Requirements.

Providers must be experienced in recruiting qualified counsellors.

The Provider organisation must have familiarity/experience of the assessment process, method of assessment, multi-agency working,

organisation of clinical supervision and evaluating service provision.

III.2.1) Information about a particular profession

Participation is reserved to a particular profession: Yes

Reference to the relevant law, regulation or administrative provision:

Qualified Counsellors:

Formal counselling follows the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapy (BACP) definition of counselling which is: ‘a

professional activity delivered by qualified practitioners in schools. Counsellors offer troubled and/or distressed children and young people

an opportunity to talk about their difficulties, within a relationship of agreed confidentiality.’

- Counsellors can be qualified in other therapies but must be competent to practice with children and young people they must be qualified in counselling and registered with BACP/COSCA (or equivalent).

All counsellors are expected to have supervision in line with their professional body’s recommendations.

Counselling organisations do not need to be registered – it is individual counsellors that need the appropriate accreditation and qualifications.

- The postholders will be PVG Scheme checked

III.2.2) Contract performance conditions

As stated throughout this Notice and in the Tender documentation.

III.2.3) Information about staff responsible for the performance of the contract

Obligation to indicate the names and professional qualifications of the staff assigned to performing the contract

IV.1.1) Type of procedure

Open procedure

IV.1.3) Information about a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system

The procurement involves the establishment of a framework agreement with several operators.

Envisaged maximum number of participants to the framework agreement: 15

Justification for any framework agreement duration exceeding 4 years: NA

IV.1.8) Information about Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes

IV.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number in the OJ S:

2020/S 148-364156

IV.2.2) Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate

Date: 25/04/2022

Local time: 12:00

IV.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

EN

IV.2.6) Minimum time frame during which the tenderer must maintain the tender

Tender must be valid until: 01/07/2022

IV.2.7) Conditions for opening of tenders

Date: 25/04/2022

Local time: 12:00

Place:

PCS-T Electronic Postbox

Information about authorised persons and opening procedure:

Tayside Procurement Consortium

VI.4.1) Review body

VI.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained