For the Provision of Regulation 44 Inspection

Description

St Helens Council has a statutory duty to ensure that all children’s homes for which it is responsible are subject to independent monitoring in accordance with Regulation 44 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. The contract is due to expire in March 2026, requiring the Council to procure a replacement arrangement to ensure continued compliance with statutory requirements. Since the commencement of the existing contract, the Council has expanded its residential children’s home provision and is in the process of establishing three additional council-owned homes. In addition to the existing provision at The Grove and Abbeyford, this expansion necessitates a Regulation 44 contract that delivers comprehensive, consistent, and independent oversight across the full current estate. The Council may also continue to develop further residential provision, which may require Regulation 44 monitoring services during the lifetime of the new contract. Procuring a single Regulation 44 contract through a competitive tender process will ensure compliance with procurement regulations, achieve value for money, and provide a consistent approach to monitoring, reporting, and quality assurance across all council-owned children’s homes. Building flexibility into the contract to accommodate additional homes will support service continuity, minimise the need for repeated procurement exercises, and strengthen governance and assurance as the estate expands. Keywords: Additional homes, Regulation 44, Independent monitoring, children services, Children Homes, Support services