C0114 - Provision of Birth Parent Support - AWARD

Birmingham City Council is committed to a high quality support service to the birth parents of children whose plan is for adoption.

Our aim is to ensure that birth parents receive a comprehensive service and that the City Council obtains best value. We feel this will be best achieved in partnership with a provider with whom we can develop a close relationship, which will ensure that the service can develop and evolve when and where necessary.

Quotations are sought from organisations registered with Ofsted as an Adoption Agency who can provide Birth Parent Support. The service provision will:

1. Provide an administration function to • Receive, and process approximately 280 individual referrals per year. (This figure is based upon 140 adoption plans made during 2015/16, so is not a guarantee of future activity). • Initiating contact with the birth parents to determine if support is required. • A helpline/telephone support to provide information, advice and guidance. • Initial contact with child/children's social workers as required

2. Provide support for birth parents, which comprises: • Allocation of a named, suitably qualified, Support Worker to be accessible to the birth parent for support and counselling to be provided. • A maximum of 10 hours support, via home-visits, telephone calls or direct meetings, per individual referral, in a suitably confidential and accessible venue. • Liaison with the child's/children's social worker re: current, accurate information about the birth parents.

The provision of information and support in signposting to national and local support services to address identified additional needs.

Letterbox - support in writing/composing letters as part of letterbox exchange if and where requested.

The provider must be able to provide a local, responsive service based in Birmingham. There is an existing service in place so TUPE requirements may apply.

Contract The contract is due to commence in 1st April 2017 and run for a period of 1 year. (With the possibility of further extension for 2 further years)

Applicants are asked to provide a cost for:

1. An annual administration charge for managing the referral process (to be paid quarterly in advance) 2. Hourly rate for client support (to be paid on receipt of quarterly invoices for support provided)

It is expected that group work will be recorded per hour not per client attending.

BCC will be using its e-tendering system (In-tend) for the administration of this procurement process and providers must register with the system to be able to express an interest. The web address is; https://in-tendhost.co.uk/birminghamcc

Registration and use of In-tend is free. All correspondence for this procurement process must be via the In-tend correspondence function. If you are unable to register with In-tend please call us on 0121 464 8000 or email us a...