Provision of Early Help Services

Bradford Children & Families Trust (BCFT) is commissioning a comprehensive programme of Early Help services to deliver a wide range of high-quality, evidence-based provisions aimed at delivering Early Help and Prevention, targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District. Services will engage with families from culturally diverse communities, support children to thrive and achieve positive outcomes, and empower families to enhance their own and their children’s life chances.

The programme of services is divided into 3 Lots. Bidders can apply for 1 or more Lots.

Providers will be expected to work collaboratively in the delivery of services across all Lots, with family Hubs and the wider partners across the Early Help system. The contracts will commence from 1st April 2026, for an initial period of 3 years, with 2 options to extend by up to 24 months.

The maximum duration of the contracts will be 7 years. This is Lot 1 of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District.

The Family Support service will provide early, targeted support to vulnerable families through a whole-family, strengths-based approach that promotes independence, prevents the escalation of needs, and ensures coordinated, multi-agency intervention through a family-led early help plan. The Family Aide Worker service will enhance the capacity of community-based Lead Practitioners with an open Early Help Assessment and Plan by delivering practical, hands-on support to families.

There are 2 existing services delivering the activity described in this new single contract, which complement delivery by the internal services within the Trust. The volume of children and families with Early Help Assessments and Plans across the system is rising, and will be dependent on need, but to give an indication of scale, the delivery expectation from the existing contracts was for family support for around 800 families and family aide for around 400 families.

There is an expectation that the Provider will hold responsibility for supporting integration of these specific services with the delivery services within Lots 2 and 3 and with wider services across the Early Help system This is Lot 2a of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District.

Refugee and Asylum-seeker Children and Families Service will provide early, targeted, and holistic support for Refugee and Asylum Seeker children and families in Bradford and will strengthen the knowledge, skills and capacity of the Early Help workforce in supporting them. There is an existing commissioned service delivering the activity described in this contract.

The volume of children and families with Early Help Assessments and Plans across the system is rising, and will be dependent on need, but to give an indication of scale, the current contract (which is half the value of the new service) delivers intensive, targeted support to a minimum of 20 families per year. Recognising the value and scale of the contracts in Lot 2, a specific Inclusion Co-ordination Function is being commissioned to support providers of Lots 2a, 2b and 2c.

The Inclusion Coordination Function will hold responsibility for supporting integration of these specific services with the delivery services within Lots 2 and 3 and with wider services across the Early Help system. This is Lot 2b of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District.

The Roma Children and Families Service will provide early, targeted, and holistic support for Roma children and families in the Bradford District, strengthen the knowledge, skills and capacity of the Early Help and Children’s Social Care workforce in supporting them, and provide support for Roma children and families in the Bradford District who have an allocated social worker where a need for additional targeted support has been identified. There is an existing commissioned service delivering some of the activity described in this contract, supporting Roma children and families in the Bradford District who have an allocated social worker where a need for additional targeted support has been identified.

This service supported around 50 families between 2022-2024 and to give an indication of scale for the new contract it is anticipated that support will be provided for around 20 families per year who are engaged with Children’s Social Care and 20 families per year in relation to family support and emotional wellbeing  services. Recognising the value and scale of the contracts in Lot 2, a specific Inclusion Co-ordination Function is being commissioned to support providers of Lots 2a, 2b and 2c.

The Inclusion Coordination Function will hold responsibility for supporting integration of these specific services with the delivery services within Lots 2 and 3 and with wider services across the Early Help system. This is Lot 2c of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District.

The Gypsy / Traveller Children and Families Service will provide early, targeted, and holistic support for children and families from the Gypsy / Traveller communities. This will include the delivery of proactive, community-based outreach to Gypsy Traveller children and families, across the Bradford Family Hub Localities, ensuring that families who may face barriers to accessing mainstream provision are identified, engaged, and supported at the earliest opportunity.

The service will also provide information and support sessions in the Family Hubs to upskill the Early Help workforce to better meet the needs of children and families from Gypsy / Traveller communities. This is a new contract, and providers are invited to describe the level of activity that can be delivered to meet the requirements of the specification within the budget provided.

Recognising the value and scale of the contracts in Lot 2, a specific Inclusion Co-ordination Function is being commissioned to support providers of Lots 2a, 2b and 2c. The Inclusion Coordination Function will hold responsibility for supporting integration of these specific services with the delivery services within Lots 2 and 3 and with wider services across the Early Help system.

This is Lot 2d of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District. The Inclusion Coordination Function will act as coordinator between the Providers delivering services to Refugee and Asylum Seeker, Roma and Gypsy / Traveller communities (Lots 2a, 2b, and 2c) to develop and maintain a good working relationship with the Family Hubs and the wider Early Help system ensuring consistency in approach.

The Inclusion Coordination Function will also work closely with those delivering Lot 1 (Family Support and Family Aide Worker services) and Lot 3 (Emotional Resilience and Wellbeing services) to ensure a joined up approach to working in partnership across the offers and reduce duplication. This is a new contract.

Recognising the value and scale of the contracts in Lot 2, this specific function is being commissioned to support providers of Lots 2a, 2b and 2c. The Inclusion Coordination Function will hold responsibility for supporting integration of these specific services with the delivery services within Lots 1 and 3 and with wider services across the Early Help system.

This is Lot 3 of 3, within a programme of commissioning of high-quality, evidence-based Early Help and prevention services, providing targeted and community-based support for vulnerable families across the Bradford District. The Emotional Resilience & Well-being service will promote positive outcomes for children and families by strengthening emotional resilience, improving mental wellbeing, fostering healthy relationships with peers and family members, and enhancing engagement with education and community life.

The provision will prioritise children across different age ranges within the Early Help System, with common emotional and wellbeing health difficulties including anxiety, low confidence and social isolation. With the aim to help children and their parents/carers in the self-management of their wellbeing.

This is a new service that will offer a range of interventions with evidence-based outcomes, including delivery of groups, activities and occasional events; aligned to Family Hubs and other community venues. The Provider will hold responsibility for supporting integration across the Early Help system.

Levels of service delivery are expected to reflect the Thrive framework groupings 2 Getting Advice and 3 Getting Help for lower levels of need, noting alignment with the Youth In Mind pathway. It is anticipated that the majority of delivery will be required for age groups 5-10 & 11 -18 (up to 25 with SEND) due to the implementation of the Best Start programme which we anticipate will cover support for 0-5 yrs. There is an expectation for a significant amount of subcontracting to a range of providers, including local community organisations/groups with the relevant skills and experience to deliver the support required.