Description

Applications are invited for inclusion on the DPS that will support the placement of Learners at independent and non-maintained schools or special pre and post 16 organisations. The successful Applicants will be awarded a position on the DPS and if successful in the Contract Opportunity Award process be responsible for providing the Service directly to the Learner.

The DPS will operate from 01/05/2018 to 30/04/2023. There is an option for an extension for a further year.

The DPS will be made up of DPS Providers that will be able to provide the Service to pre and post 16 Learners, up to the age of 25 years.

This Dynamic Purchasing System will enable the Council to procure a sufficient supply of suitable placements for Learners needing special educational requirements.

The Service required will cover placements of children and young people in these settings for education services in either day or residential settings made directly on behalf of the Council.

Services will be required for;

• Day placements for pre-16 Learners
• Residential placements for pre-16 Learners
• Day placements for post-16 Learners
• Residential placements for post-16 Learners

Service Providers must be able to meet one or more of the following primary needs, which may include challenging behaviours in all categories;

• Cognition and Learning Needs (a range of specific, moderate, severe and profound)
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs
• Communication and Interaction (speech, language and communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder)
• Physical and Sensory Needs (visual impairment, hearing impairment, multiple sensory impairment, physical difficulty)

Service Providers are to be able to deliver the following either on a daily or residential basis;

a) Alternative education provision specialist post 16 institutions
• A range of part time vocational provision
• Full and part time alternative e provision options
• Accredited outcomes
• Enrichment opportunities
• Short term or long term programmes
b) Virtual Learning
• Online core provision lessons
• Full time or part time programme delivery
• Accredited outcomes

c) Therapeutic Services
• A range of therapeutic services to meet the specified needs detailed in the EHCP

d) Reintegration into education
• Interventions to support young people into education following a period of non attendance
• To include a pro-active model of delivery to mentor and support the Learner to transition into the placement

Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the suitability questionnaire.

The DPS Provider list and access to Contract Opportunities will operate electronically via the EastMidTender Portal.

The DPS will operate for an initial period of two years, with three further potential annual extensions of 12 months available. The duration or termination of the DPS will not affect Individual Placement Agreements via the DPS.

An EU Light Touch procurement tender exercise which is compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 will be undertaken to select providers onto the DPS which will offer access to pre-approved DPS Providers who can be appointed using an efficient and streamlined procurement process; therefore ensuring the Council obtains value for money advice whilst enabling objectives to be achieved.

For clarity, this DPS is not a full DPS as defined under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, Regulation 34, but is a modified version. This is because Section 7 - social and health care services (the Light Touch Regime as allowed under Regulations 74 to 77) are not subject to the full regulations of the procurement procedures set out in the Regulations.

The Council will be the user of the DPS, however there maybe occasions when other procurement routes are selected for some specific requirements. There will be no obligation on the Council to enter into IPA's with the DPS Providers nor will any guarantee be given as to the quantity or regularity of IPA's to be made. For these reasons, no guarantees of business value or volume can be given. Applicants will have to form their own views as to the potential for such an arrangement.

Applicants must meet the minimum required qualifying criteria for entry onto the DPS and maintain the requisite criteria throughout the DPS Agreement Term. There are no other restrictions on who can or cannot join the DPS and Applicants may apply to join at any time during the lifetime of the DPS as entry remains open, other than where the Council closes the DPS for any period

The first tranche of Applicants that will be appointed to the DPS will take place at the beginning of 1 May 2018 and it is intended that Contract Opportunities will commence from 1 May 2018.

After round one, the Council will open each round for a calendar month and assessment of the applications received for that round will take place by the end of the following calendar month.

Select the ‘apply online’ link in the bottom right hand corner of this notice, this will transfer you to the Councils e-tendering system https://www.eastmidstenders.org where you can express interest and obtain the documents, (please note we will only accept expressions of interest through the e-tendering system).

 

Additional information

Contract Type	Recurring
Procurement Process	Dynamic Purchasing System
Option to extend	Annually for a further 3 years
Estimated ValueText Description	Forty Million GBP
Category	Adult & Further Education Services, Education, Accommodation,
CPV codes	80000000, 00000001,
Suitable for SME	YES