Defence Online

The current contract for Social work and related services in Bootle is projected to end on 23/2/2017 and may be available for re-tender.The current contract for Social work and related services in Bootle included currently developing a comprehensive Community Adolescence Service with support from the DfE. This new service will have at its core a commitment to evidence based progressive theory and practice. As part of this development the council is seeking a partner from the Independent Sector to provide a dedicated residential care home. For the chosen provider of the residential care home, this represents an exciting opportunity to contribute to a new way of working with a high DfE profile. A key element of this scheme will be that the provider’s staff team, involved in this project, will receive full training in social Pedagogy and Restorative practice funded by the purchaser. The scheme will also be externally evaluated for evidence of impact and the results will be of national standing. The procurement of this residential home will be based on a block contract and represents a guaranteed source of income for the successful provider. The Indicative value of the contract is 375 000 GBP. Background Sefton Council in conjunction with a range of partners is currently developing a new Community Adolescence Service. This will be 1 service incorporating residential and field resources, dedicated to working with a specific group of young people, their siblings, families and care givers. The service will be evidence based with Social Pedagogy and Restorative Practice providing its core unifying philosophy, as well as providing a central means of practice for its workers. As part of this fresh approach to service provision, the Council seeks to procure a 4 bedded residential children’s home which will work in total integration with the other components of the Community Adolescence Service. Potential providers of this 4 bedded children’s home are invited to be participants and partners in this innovative development. The project itself is being developed with support from the DfE. It will also be externally evaluated and the results of this evaluation will be of national standing. Crucially, the Community Adolescence Service is a developmental project. In view of this the potential provider of the residential unit will have the opportunity to develop their function, in line with the other elements of the Community Adolescence Service, as more is learnt during the service’s move from theoretical to actual application. A key component of this new development will be that the care staff employed by the chosen residential home provider will receive comprehensive training in Social Pedagogy and Restorative Practice funded by the purchaser. The training will cover both theory and practice from both a practice and leadership perspective. The purchaser wishes to enter into a block contract with the provider for the home regardless of bed usage for the length of the contract. In order to understand the potential requirements of this new residential care home it is important to understand the nature of the Community Adolescence Service within which it will be located.