Children's & Families Services Transformation and Financial Sustainability Programme Consultancy Services
Southend-on-Sea City CouncilEstimated Value
Not specified
Deadline
Not specified
Published
9 June 2026
Type
services
Overview
Southend-on-Sea City Council (SCC) is at a pivotal moment in the evolution of its Children's Services. Rising demand, increasing placement costs, system pressures across SEND, housing and health, have all placed a pressure on the Children Services budget.
What is required now is a focused, whole-system preventative approach that aligns improved outcomes for children and young people and better value service delivery. SCC has appointed a supplier for the delivery of consultancy services of the following workstreams: 1.
Edge of Care redesign 2. Exit and permanency pathways 3.
Additional details
Cross-system diagnostic (Housing, SEND and prevention) 4. Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) critical friend support (Adults Social Care) This contract has been awarded via the ESPO Consultancy Services Framework 664-25 via Lot 4b Adults and Children.
AI Analysis
Powered by AI — always verify against official documents
Southend-on-Sea City Council needs consultancy support to redesign and improve how they deliver Children's Services while reducing costs. The council is struggling with rising demand, expensive placements, and budget pressures across children's services, SEND, housing and health — and they want expert consultants to help them reshape their approach to focus on prevention and better value.
Requirements
- Must be approved supplier on ESPO Consultancy Services Framework 664-25, Lot 4b (Adults and Children)
- Experience in children's social care service transformation and redesign
- Expertise in edge of care services and early intervention/prevention approaches
- Knowledge of permanency planning and exit pathways for looked-after children
- Understanding of cross-system working across housing, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), and health services
- Experience with Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) methodology and financial sustainability planning
- Ability to provide 'critical friend' support (independent challenge and advice to senior leadership)
Key Tasks & Deliverables
- Redesign the council's edge of care services (support for families on the edge of children entering the care system)
- Develop and map exit and permanency pathways for looked-after children (how children move from care into permanent homes or independence)
- Conduct a cross-system diagnostic reviewing how housing, SEND and prevention services interact and where there are gaps or inefficiencies
- Provide Zero-Based Budgeting critical friend support to Adults Social Care (help challenge and validate budget rebuild from zero base)
- Develop a whole-system preventative approach aligned to improved outcomes for children and young people
- Provide recommendations on better value service delivery across children's services
How to Read This Tender
- 1This contract is already awarded via a Framework Agreement — you cannot bid unless you're already on the ESPO Framework Lot 4b. Check if your organisation is listed; if not, you've missed this tender opportunity but can apply to join the framework for future calls.
- 2This is a multi-workstream project, not a single piece of work. The council may split tasks between multiple suppliers or award all to one — read the full tender documents to see the phasing, timescales and which workstreams are being called off first.
- 3'Critical friend support' means the council wants honest, independent advice that challenges their current thinking — not just agreement with what they want to hear. Emphasise your ability to be objective and evidence-based in your bid.
- 4This contract involves cross-system work (children's services, adults social care, housing, SEND, health) — flag partnerships or experience working across multiple council departments or agencies, as this is complex joined-up work.
- 5Zero-Based Budgeting is a specific financial methodology (rebuilding budgets from £0, not incrementally adjusting existing budgets). If you don't have ZBB experience, you may be at a disadvantage on that workstream, but you could still bid for the other three.
Tips for Small Businesses
- If you're not on the ESPO Framework already, you cannot bid directly — but contact the council to ask if they use other approved frameworks or if there are subcontracting opportunities with the lead supplier. Some councils allow SMEs to partner with larger framework suppliers.
- This is a high-value, multi-workstream contract — consider forming a consortium with other consultancies. One partner could lead on edge of care/permanency (children's social care expertise), another on cross-system/housing/SEND coordination, and a third on ZBB. Councils often prefer mixed teams with complementary skills.
- Emphasise social value and local benefit in your bid (e.g. local recruitment, support for local charities, knowledge transfer to council staff). Children's services transformation is high-profile; councils scoring bids often weight social value heavily, especially in local authority procurement.
Award Details
Peopletoo Limited
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Buyer Profile
Southend-on-Sea City CouncilKey Dates
Published
9 June 2026
Submission deadline
Not specified
Notice type
award
Source
find a tender
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