Awarded
ocds-h6vhtk-04a3a3 · award
Children’s Residential Personalised Block Contracts - Phase 2
Essex County CouncilEstimated Value
Not specified
Deadline
Not specified
Published
22 April 2025
Type
services
East of EnglandGBopenCPV: 85000000
CategoryHealth & social care
Overview
Essex County Council (“the Council”) were seeking to engage providers within the children’s residential and fostering space to enter into a block contract agreement for registered provision to support children and young people under the age of 18 who were in unregistered settings. Providers were required to hold Ofsted registered provision and located either in Essex or within 20 miles from the Council’s geographic coverage / boundaries.
Please be advised that the contracts for this service were due to be commissioned under an initial term of twelve (12) months (subject to the enactment of the break clause as detailed in the draft terms and conditions for this procurement). Thereafter, the Council, at its sole discretion, may have enacted the options to extend the contract.
For the avoidance of any further doubt, please note that this service was due to be commissioned with two (2) optional extension periods, each of which provide an additional twelve (12) month term. Therefore, the maximum duration of each contract per lot would be three (3) years.
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Key points
- With emotional and behavioural difficulties.
- With EHCP plans.
- With a history of disrupted familial relationships and/or have experienced break down of placements in foster care or children’s homes.
- Who have been at risk of harm.
- Who have experienced neglect.
- Who have experienced emotional abuse.
- Who have an identified or suspected neurodiversity. Additional children and young people referred if / once the initial placement has ended were likely to include those aged 10-18 years old with behaviours including but not limited to:
- Self-harm, including suicidal thoughts.
- Offending
- Sexualised behaviours
- Fire setting
- Absconding The placement was not required to accommodate children and young people with:
- Physical disabilities.
- Severe Learning disabilities.
- Acute mental health needs who require inpatient treatment.
- Clinical / nursing needs.
- Severe drug dependency not on a treatment support program. In addition, the provider would have been required to operate within Children’s homes / fostering regulations, Ofsted requirements, and ensure Regulation 44 visits are in place as applicable. Criteria for providing the provision included, requiring the provider to have a registered children’s home vacancy or foster care placement which could be offered within the timescales detailed within the tender. Furthermore, this service was due to be provided in accordance with the following conditions:
- The placement must be delivered in Essex or within 20 miles.
- The provider must aspire for an Ofsted rating of good or outstanding. This service specification was drafted in accordance with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 (“the Regulations”) and accompanying guidance. The provider must adhere to the quality standards as set out within the Regulations when delivering children’s residential placements under this provision. These requirements include but are not limited to the provision of appropriately trained staff. The service specification was also drafted in accordance with Children Act 1989, Guidance and Regulations Volume 4 Fostering Services, the Care Standards Act 2000, the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children Act 2004 and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008. Please be advised that the full scope of the Council’s requirements for this service was detailed in the overarching service specification which needs to be read in conjunction with the anonymised personal profile for this lot. These documents form part of the tender pack for this procurement which was published on ProContract and accessible to registered users via: https://procontract.due-north.com/
Regulations cited
- Homes (England) Regulations 2015
- Children Act 1989
- Care Standards Act 2000
- Children Act 2002
- Children Act 2004
- Young Persons Act 2008
Additional details
In addition, please note that the provider(s) would have been required to report their delivery of Social Value in relation to this service as a condition of the enactment of the contractual extensions. The Council were due to provide further details regarding this requirement with the successful bidder(s) during the contract management of this service.
AI AnalysisMembers
Requirements, key tasks and tips for reading this tender — included with Tendarix membership.
£4.99/month after a 7-day free trial. Cancel anytime before it ends and you pay nothing.
Search for tendersGet bid-ready — free 30-min callVisit View buyer profile
SponsoredEst. 2010
Gladstone & Co AccountantsTax advisers · East Ham, London
Before you bid, buyers check
two years of filed accountsyour financial standingturnover vs contract valueyour Companies House recordcash flow for 30-day termscredit scores and ratios
Annual accountsCash-flow forecastsManagement accountsCorporation taxVAT & MTDPayroll & RTIBookkeepingCompany formationSelf-assessmentVirtual FDHMRC enquiriesAuto-enrolmentProperty & landlord taxCharity SORP accounts
Actions
Start free trialto open noticeCreate an account and start a 7-day free trial to open the buyer’s own notice and tender documents, plus fit scoring and the Bid Writer. Then £4.99/month — cancel anytime.
Open Bid WriterBuilt by · Digital studioEst. 2022
Unique
Evolution®
Independent software, web & cloud studio. We design, build and grow digital products that quietly outlast their category.
Web DesignSoftware DevelopmentSEO ServicesPromotion
Visit Unique Evolution
How to Apply
Step-by-step submission guide
Submission Portal
Find a Tender
1
Open the original notice
Click the button below to view the full notice on Find a Tender Service (FTS)
2
Check the procedure type
The "Procedure" section tells you if it's Open (one stage) or Restricted (SQ then ITT). This changes how you apply
3
Access the eSourcing portal
FTS notices link to the buyer's eSourcing platform — register there to access documents
4
Complete the Selection Questionnaire
Higher-value contracts often require an SQ first — this pre-qualifies you before the full bid stage
5
Submit electronically
Upload your completed response through the eSourcing platform before the closing date and time
FTS contracts are above UK procurement thresholds. Late submissions are strictly rejected — submit at least 24 hours before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
Buyer Profile
ESSEX COUNTY COUNCILTypepublic body
Total tenders218
Total spend£7,067,833,370
Key Dates
Published
22 April 2025
Submission deadline
Not specified
Notice type
award
Source
find a tender
Similar
Related Tenders
M
Open
9690b07d-6b5e-4ac4-9caa-251d13193e52 · Contract
Land maintenance: martlesham parish 2027 - 2030
Martlesham Parish Council
servicesEast of EnglandSME friendly
Martlesham Parish Council is seeking a supplier for a three‑year land‑maintenance service (including bus‑shelter cleaning) starting 1 April 2027, with a possible two‑year extension.
££32,000
⏱ 2 Nov 2026
Posted · 2d ago22d to apply →
N
Open
ocds-h6vhtk-0784f0 · tender
Experts at hand: occupational therapy, inclusion and participation service
Norfolk County Council
servicesEast of England
'Experts at Hand' is designed to transform how support for children and young people with SEND is delivered, by bringing specialist expertise directly into mainstream early years,
£On request
⏱ 13 Nov 2026
Posted · 2d ago33d to apply →
N
Open
ocds-h6vhtk-06bb76 · tenderUpdate
Orthodontic services, hertfordshire 2027/37
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
servicesEast of England
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (referred to as the Commissioner) awarded a contract to The Specialist Orthodontic Centre for the provision of Orthodontic Se
£Up to £859,337
Posted · 3d agoView details →
E
Open
ocds-h6vhtk-078126 · tender
Provision of private ambulance services for emergency (a&e/blue light)
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
servicesEast of England
Provision of Private Ambulance Services for Emergency (A&E/Blue Light) The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) covers the six counties which make up the East of Eng
£Up to £41,666,666
⏱ 6 Nov 2026
Posted · 6d ago26d to apply →