Visual Impairment Outreach Service

Description

The London Borough of Enfield (‘the Council) is undertaking preliminary market engagement to gather market intelligence and obtain views regarding the provision of its Visual Impairment Outreach Service in the borough. As part of this preliminary market engagement, the Council invites interested organisations to engage via completion of the Council’s Soft Market Test (SMT) Questionnaire, Appendix 2 of the Preliminary Market Engagement documentation. Completed SMT Questionnaires are to be submitted via the messaging page of the Council’s procurement portal, Atamis, by 12:00 noon on 5 February 2026. Please note that interested organisations must register on the portal to submit responses. The link to the portal can be found here: Welcome. The portal can also be accessed via the Council’s website (www.enfield.gov.uk) by clicking Doing business with the council | Enfield Council. The purpose of this preliminary market engagement is to help inform the Council’s options and further decision making where appropriate. For the avoidance of doubt, this preliminary market engagement notice is intended as an awareness/information gathering exercise only and is not a call to competition, is not a pre-qualification process and is not the start of a formal procurement exercise. Participation or non-participation in this preliminary market engagement shall not prevent any potential provider participating in, nor shall it place any potential provider at an advantage in any future procurement opportunity. Any future procurement opportunity could be published in the early Spring of 2026. However, this timeframe is indicative only and the Council reserves the right to reschedule any forthcoming publication at any time. Participants must also know that they should cover their own cost of participating in this preliminary market engagement and the Council is not liable for any cost incurred due to potential provider’s participation in the exercise. Description of the procurement The Visual Impairment Outreach Service provides specialist support to visually impaired children and young people aged 0–25 years, enabling them to access the educational curriculum alongside their peers. This is a statutory requirement under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Equality Act 2010, with delivery guided by the SEND Code of Practice. Historically, the service has operated through direct outreach, partnership working, and integration with wider SEND provision. Demand has evolved in response to demographic changes and advances in assistive technology. Recent trends include increased demand, a focus on inclusive education, digital solutions for remote support, and further integration with wider SEND services. The service is shaped by both national policy and Enfield Council’s SEND strategy, with all operations underpinned by safeguarding and best practice standards. The Council would like to find out about the solutions that the market currently or potentially offers, along with the types of innovation or areas of best practice that are being developed and could meet the Council’s current requirements and/or make improvements to future service delivery. Please note that information provided is purely for information only, and to inform the Council of solutions that it may not already be aware of. It may also inform and shape any future requirements, whilst reflecting common traits across the marketplace, where appropriate. The existing Visual Impairment Outreach Service contract currently supports 162 Enfield children and young people, providing specialist advice, assessment, and training to families, schools, and professionals. The intention of any future procurement would be to ensure continuation of high-quality, accessible support for all eligible children and young people, promoting inclusion and independence. The future service will include direct outreach, training for school staff, family support, and integration with other SEND services. Provision must be available for Enfield’s children and young people, including visits to educational establishments outside of Enfield’s boundary if a child or young person should attend one of these, and also within independent educational establishments if the child or young person has an Education Health, and Care Plan. Key Challenges • Meeting diverse needs • Managing resources efficiently while maintaining a quality service, and • Responding to demographic changes Key Stakeholders • Children • Families Schools • Health professionals, and • Voluntary organisations The project is driven by a commitment to improving outcomes, achieving value for money, and complying with statutory duties. At present, the estimated maximum annual budget for this service is £161,000. Any future commercial arrangement aims to deliver a responsive, high-quality Visual Impairment Outreach Service that employs people with the qualifications and expertise required to support children and young people, schools, and families. Strategic Aims • Promoting inclusion • Improving educational attainment, and • Empowering families Operational requirements include rapid response to referrals, flexible service delivery, integration with other SEND services, and robust performance monitoring (see Appendix 2 for draft Service Specification and KPIs). Expected Outcomes • Improved access to education • Increased independence • High satisfaction rates, and • Compliance with statutory duties Due to the specialist nature of the service, the Council currently envisages that a single supplier will deliver the next generation Visual Impairment Outreach Service contract. Draft Service Specification for future Visual Impairment Outreach Service is set out in Appendix 1 of the Preliminary Market Engagement documentation. Additional information Please note that organisations will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this preliminary market engagement.