Provider list for Break Time, Home Care and Short Breaks Services for children and young people with disabilities

The tender seeks to create an open provider list for Break Time, Home Care and Short Breaks Services for children and young people with disabilities across Lancashire. The Authority intends to secure a range of providers capable of delivering group‑based leisure and therapeutic activities for children with an unassessed or assessed need, as well as dedicated day‑time personal care, overnight respite and intensive positive behaviour support. The services are designed to give primary carers regular and restorative breaks, enabling them to continue or improve their care for their child, thereby supporting statutory duties to provide a full spectrum of short‑break options for SEND users.

The provider list will be divided into six distinct lots: (1) Break Time and Break Time Plus activities; (2) Day‑time short breaks and personal care; (3) 1:1 or 2:1 community‑based support; (4) Day‑time personal care in the home; (5) Overnight short‑breaks available throughout the year; and (6) Intensive positive behaviour support for children with complex needs. Each lot will be commissioned through a call‑off process and may be awarded on an annual block‑booking basis or requested when assessed need arises. Providers must meet the Service Specifications outlined in the Provider List Agreement and comply with the relevant health and safety regulations.

Lancashire County Council (the Authority) wishes to establish an open Provider List of Break Time and Short Breaks Providers who are suitable, capable and experienced to deliver the required services. This will greatly improve choice and the ability to meet the needs of children and young people with appropriate services.
Short Breaks Services ("the Services") are essential for children with disabilities, their parents and their carers, to ensure better outcomes and to prevent escalation of their needs, where possible.
The term 'short breaks' describes services that help adult parent/carers to more effectively provide care for their disabled child by providing them regular breaks
The Services commissioned from the Provider List are listed below and will support the Authority in fulfilling its statutory duty to provide a full range of Short Break Services to children/young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND") which is sufficient to assist their primary carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively.
The Lots have been developed to cover the range of Services available and have been grouped to align to the service area types and Service User's needs.
Applicants are invited to apply for all or any of the following Lots and there is no restrictions for the number of lots they can successful in:
Lot 1a Break Time
Lot 1b Break Time Plus
Lot 2a Day Time Short Breaks
Lot 2b Day Time Personal Care
Lot 3 Night Time Overnight Short Breaks
Lot 4 Intensive Positive Behaviour Support
It is intended that the Provider List will remain effect for 5 years, with option to extend on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years. Service Contracts can be awarded as call-off contracts as detailed within the ITP.
This procurement procedure is considered to be subject to the Light Touch Regime under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
The Provider List is an open list: Applicants can apply to join during its term if the Applicant satisfies the selection, quality and price requirements and is able to deliver the Service as described in the Service Specifications. Evaluations of new Applications will take place annually as detailed in the ITP. The Authority reserves the right to evaluate sooner. Exact Application Evaluation deadlines dates will be communicated via the Sourcing portal as an online discussion or any other format which the Authority stipulates. It is the Authority's intention to evaluate new Applications annually or once 10 new Applications are received, whichever occurs sooner. All instructions on how to participate and apply to join the Flexible Agreement, evaluation criteria, terms and conditions and documents to be returned can be found on following webpage: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/tenders-and-procurement/tenders/provider-list-for-break-time-home-care-and-short-breaks-services-for-children-and-young-people-with-disabilities/.
All aspects (documents/attachments/responses) of the application can and must be submitted via the iSupplier portal. The Authority will not accept email or hard copy/paper applications in relation to this process and you must submit your application electronically via the iSupplier portal.

Ocid: ocds-h6vhtk-02a9b9
Contract location: UKD
Communication: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/isupplier
Conditions for opening of tenders: 2027-04-02T14:00:00+01:00

Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted: En
This is a recurrent procurement: No
Submission address and any special instructions: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/isupplier

Lot number: 1
Description: Lot 1a Break Time Group-based social, leisure and sports activities which can include evening activities such as youth groups, weekend activities and school holiday clubs. For children with disabilities with an unassessed need. It is not possible at this stage to know the exact requirements of the service volumes each year, it will be variable and dependent upon uptake of the Service by parent carers, Service Provider capacity and availability of funding from the Authority. However, Services for Lot 1a Break Time under this arrangement are intended to be awarded in one of five Call Off methods, but it is anticipated that ordinarily the Services will be arranged via the Annual Block Booking process. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 9) for more details of how Services will be commissioned. Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed

Lot number: 2
Description: Group-based social, leisure and sports activities which can include evening activities such as youth groups, weekend activities and school holiday clubs. For children with disabilities who have an assessed need .It is proposed that commissioning activity for Break Time Plus will start once Break Time Services are established, but it is anticipated that Break Time Plus commissioning will start by 1 September 2022 (unless otherwise advised by the Authority). This will be once Service Providers are established and the Authority's commissioning needs are assessed. Services in this Lot will be commissioned following an assessment of a child's needs, parent/carers may also wish to access the list of Service Providers to spend their Direct Payment for services, however this will be a private arrangement between the Service Provider and parent/carer. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 10) for more details of how Services will be commissioned. Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed

Lot number: 3
Description: 1:1 (or 2:1, where assessed as such) individualised support for children and young people with disabilities, to enable them to get out and about in the community, try new activities and learn skills for life. For children with disabilities who have an assessed need. Services in this Lot will be commissioned following an assessment of a child's needs and will be requested via the call off process as and when a need arises. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 10) for more details of how Services will be commissioned. Individual packages of support are subject to change based on the individual needs of the child or young person. Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed

Lot number: 4
Description: Lot 2b Day Time Personal Care Provision of support in the home for children with disabilities, where parents/carers are present, to provide general assistance with washing, dressing and feeding as well as support through the night, to permit carers to carry out other tasks, or take a break from caring. For children with disabilities who have an assessed need. Services in this Lot will be commissioned following an assessment of a child's needs and will be requested via the call off process as and when a need arises. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 10) for more details of how Services will be commissioned. Individual packages of support are subject to change based on the individual needs of the child or young person. Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed

Lot number: 5
Description: Lot 3 Night Time Overnight Short Breaks Provision of overnight short breaks outside the home, in a specialist overnight short breaks setting (or other venue agreed in advance by the commissioner) for children with disabilities. For children with disabilities who have an assessed need. The Service is to be available every day of the week, 52 weeks per annum. These Services may be commissioned on a one off or a regular basis and are for short periods of time. Overnight respite care is usually arranged on a planned basis but may be required quickly in an emergency situation. Services in this Lot will be commissioned following an assessment of a child's needs and will be requested via the call off process as and when a need arises. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 10) for more details of how Services will be commissioned. Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed

Lot number: 6
Description: Lot 4 Intensive Positive Behaviour Support Provision of intensive support to deliver bespoke evidence-based interventions for children with complex disabilities to reduce behaviour that challenges / harmful behaviours where a child is on the edge of care or a family is in crisis. For children with disabilities who have an assessed need. It is proposed that commissioning activity for Intensive Positive Behaviour Support will not commence straight away. This will be once Service Providers are established and the Authority's commissioning needs are assessed. Services in this Lot will be commissioned following an assessment of a child's needs and will be requested via the call off process as and when a need arises. Please see call off procedure within the Provider List Agreement (see procurement document Appendix 10) for more details of how Services will be commissioned Additional information: The Provider List initial term shall expire in March 2027 with an option to extend this Agreement on one or more occasions, save that the length of this Provider List Agreement shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.
This contract is subject to renewal: No
Information about options. Options: No
Variants will be accepted: not allowed