Residential Children’s Homes - CiC Placements

Cornwall Council is conducting a market assessment to find out more about the level of interest within the private, independent and public sector. This market assessment is not part of any procurement process. It is purely investigatory in nature, although it may be used to assist the Council in defining a potential preferred procurement route to advance this programme and assisting us in developing the specification for this service. If you are interested in this initiative and helping with our assessment, please answer the questions below and email responses with any additional information back to [email protected] by 17.00 hrs on 11 September 2015. Participation in this market assessment will not include or preclude any organisation from participating in any future procurement exercise. Any responses you provide will not prejudice your involvement in any future procurement exercise. No information provided in your response will be used in any evaluation of any subsequent response to a procurement exercise.

The Council currently uses a mix of residential schools (~20 children) and residential homes (~2-5 children). It is established in working with OfSTED that there is a view that smaller 2-3 bed homes produce better outcomes given the nature of the children requiring residential care. It is also established that those children do better to ‘step down’ to more ‘child independent’ arrangements such as Foster Care once circumstances have stabilised; avoid institutionalising children. National guidance suggests care <20 miles from their home although this is a challenge for Cornwall’s 90 mile geography. The geography also means that Cornwall doesn’t have the same type of issues that cities such as Plymouth have (e.g. under age prostitution and heightened mental health). Cornwall Council’s need is for the development of 12 beds, based on a small group home model, with consideration of a clear approach to sustained, effective and efficient provision to ensure that increased provision over a period of time to reach the capacity of 12 beds, does not impact on the delivery of the service overall. In commissioning residential provision the Council’s aims to provide high quality placement choices which ensure that all children living in children’s homes regardless of their background or needs are enabled to reach their full potential in terms of educational achievement, being healthy, emotional well-being in a safe and stable environment.

The Council’s philosophy on the provision of Children’s Homes is underpinned by the following: ? We believe that children respond best and are able to reach their full potential when they are cared for in an environment in which people are genuinely interested in their welfare, take time to get to know them and their needs and ensure that those needs are met. ? We believe in putting children at the centre of everything that we do.

Additional information: If you are interested in this initiative and helping with our assessment, please answer the questions below and email responses with any additional information back to [email protected] by 17.00 hrs on 11 September 2015.