Independent Advocacy Centre in Barking & Dagenham

Barking & Dagenham Council invites suitably experienced providers to bid for the integrated Advocacy Centre. The service can be delivered by a single provider or by a partnership (working on a consortium or lead/sub basis).

The tender will be for a single Independent Advocacy Service to deliver the statutory advocacy functions of Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Advocacy under the Care Act This work will be across a range of client groups including Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Dementia, Autism, Acquired Brain Injury, Physical Health and Substance Misuse. The lead provider would need to have capacity to mobilise or supply-in specialist and targeted advocates as required.

The winning bidder would be expected to deliver: • A quality and seamless independent statutory IMHA/IMCA/DoLS/Care Act advocacy service with a range of appropriately qualified, trained and experienced advocates, skilled across a range of specialisms • A prompt, efficient, equitable, and seamless referral allocation and management system with determined outputs, prioritisation and case closure processes • Effective organisational marketing and promotion, raising awareness, engaging stakeholders, targeting hard to reach groups and providing clarity around the advocacy offer • An effective signposting service to local services through sound knowledge of service provision in the locality through productive partnership working Barking and Dagenham also wishes to develop its informal advocate/appropriate person market and as such there will also be a prevention and capacity building strand of the contract. This is intended to support voluntary informal carers to advocate on behalf of their loved ones, where appropriate.

The contract will be for a period of 2 years with a 1 year option to extend. Anticipated contract commencement will be 1 April 2016.

The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham supports the development of Consortium bids and Sub-Contracting arrangements. Details of all sub-contractors would need to be included in the tender submission pack.

It would be the responsibility of the provider to check whether TUPE implications would apply to your particular organisation. Any interested bidders seeking clarification around any aspects of the Independent Advocacy Centre ITT and specification are welcome to attend a Bidders Question Event to be held on 5 January 2016 at Barking Town Hall, 1 Town Square, Barking, IG11 7LU at 2pm.

Late applications will not be considered under any circumstances. If you require any additional information please contact Adrian Marshall, Commissioning Manager at adrian.marshall@lbbd.gov.uk or phone 0208 724 3259. The deadline for queries will close 2pm Friday 8 January 2016.