Speculative Notice – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which further information may be obtained

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Workforce Development Planning and Practice Educator Inquiry 

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

The purpose of this tender is to commission the development of two strategic workforce delivery plans; one for social work and one for residential childcare services, and to conduct an inquiry into the operating context of practice educators in Wales.

These outputs will support the implementation of the Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy (2020–2030) and its 2024–2027 Delivery Plan, helping to ensure a sustainable, skilled, and supported social care workforce.

The work will be co-produced with the sector and informed by engagement with practitioners, stakeholders, and service users. It will provide actionable insights and recommendations to guide future workforce planning, policy development, and service improvement across social care in Wales.

The aim of this commission is to strengthen and support the social care workforce in Wales through the development of targeted workforce delivery plans and a focused inquiry into the role of practice educators. This work will contribute to the implementation of the Health and Social Care Workforce Strategy (2020–2030) and its 2024–2027 Delivery Plan.

The objectives are to develop:

1. A Social Work Workforce Development Plan

- Building on the 2022 plan to address evolving demands in social work.

- Co-producing actions with the sector to support recruitment, retention, well-being, and professional development.

- Aligning with strategic themes and golden threads of the workforce strategy.

2. A Residential Childcare Workforce Development Plan

- Supporting the implementation of the removal of profit from children’s services.

- Addressing workforce risks and sustainability challenges in a rapidly changing landscape.

- Co-producing solutions with stakeholders to ensure service continuity and quality.

3. A Practice Educator Inquiry

- Investigating the operating context, challenges, and support needs of practice educators.

- Gathering qualitative and quantitative insights from stakeholders.

- Developing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the infrastructure for student placements.

Each workstream will result in a detailed, actionable output that informs strategic decision-making and supports workforce transformation across the sector

NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=155957.

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

3 Administrative Information

3.1

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

3.2

Estimated Start of the Award Procedure

4 Other Information

4.1

Additional Information

We will be holding a preliminary market engagement session via MS Teams on:

Monday 29 September at 16:00

The session will be hosted by project lead Jon Day (Assistant Direct of Workforce), Esyllt Crozier and Jessica Matthews (Improvement and Development Managers), and a member of the Procurement team.

The session will begin with an outline of the requirements, following which an opportunity for questions and answers will follow. The session will be recorded and uploaded against this notice on Sell2Wales.

If you are interested in joining a preliminary market engagement session, please email procurement@socialcare.wales advising the tender title and the relevant colleagues email addresses.

Following the session the Sell2Wales question and answer portal will be live for a following 2 working days up until 17:00 on Wednesday 1 October 2025, following which the project team will look to finalise and translate the tender documentation ready for publication on the below target date.

(WA Ref:155957)

4.2

Download Additional Documentation

4.3

Publication date of this notice