Issue Based Advocacy & Independent Visitor Service for Children & Young People

Reading Borough Council (RBC / 'the Council') is looking for a service provider to deliver an issue based advocacy and independent visitor service for children/young people in Reading local authority care.

Reading Borough Council's statutory requirement to provide these services derives from the Children Act 1989. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 s.26A imposes a duty on the Local Authority to make arrangements for the provision of advocacy services.

Reading Borough Council is seeking to work with a provider to deliver issue based advocacy for children and young people aged between 5-25 years, and independent visitors for children and young people aged between 5-17 up until their 18th birthday or up to the age of 25 if a child or young person has Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD)

The Council intends to contract with a single organisation for the delivery of the full specification.

The intended contract term will be an initial period of 3 years commencing 1st January 2019 and then two (2) possible one (1) year extensions subject to satisfactory contract performance and at the absolute discretion of the Council.

Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment Regulations 2006) (TUPE) Applicants are advised that RBC believes that the transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 and/or European Communities Acquired Rights directive 77/187 may apply to this contract, however applicants must seek their own independent advice to determine whether TUPE regulations apply.

Additional information: Organisations interested in expressing an interest in this procurement should download the procurement documents which are available on the Council`s e-tendering system at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc/aspx/Home and complete as instructed.

The Portal is free of charge - to register please follow the supplier registration guidance which is available on the Portal. Contractors wishing to be considered for this tendering opportunity must complete the tender documents and return them electronically via the Council`s e-tendering portal.

Please note: you must register your interest via the Council`s e-tendering portal if you intend to submit a tender. Interested parties must log onto the Council`s e-tendering portal at: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/readingbc, to express an interest and download the procurement documents. All communications regarding this procurement exercise will be conducted through the Council`s e-tendering portal including requests for clarifications or general enquiries. The procurement documents will be available for download up until the closing time and date for tender submissions, it is the organisation`s responsibility to ensure that they download the documents in ample time to ensure that they can be completed and returned electronically, along with supporting documents, prior to the closing time and date stipulated. Before completing the tender, potential providers/suppliers should ensure that the e-mail address that has been used to register their organisation will be checked regularly as the Council`s e-tendering system will generate automatic notifications to this e-mail address when there are updates, changes or messages sent relating to the project. Potential bidders should also check that their organisation`s details are correct and kept up to date.

Technical questions and assistance regarding the use and operation of the Portal should be addressed to the In-Tend Help Desk - e-mail: [email protected], telephone number +44 8442728810.

Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No