Miscellaneous health services

Tender description

Wakefield Council is seeking a provider to delivery an advocacy service to children and young people in accordance with an updated and revised service specification to meet the needs of children and young people within the district. This is a statutory service which the Council is required to provide and which must be independent from the services which are supporting the children and young people who require advocacy. Wakefield Council invites tenders, subject to the conditions set out in the Invitation to Tender documents, for the provision of an advocacy service to children and young people. The contract for the service with the current provider is due to expire on 31 March 2020. The service provider will work independently of all Services provided to children and young people in Wakefield to ensure that the practice is child focussed and not restrained by external pressures. It is acknowledged that the role of an advocate is unique and that advocates must be led by the child or young person’s wishes, not their view of the child’s best interests, and therefore, assisting a child to express his or her wishes is a contribution to the welfare of the child even though it may appear to conflict with decisions about the child or young person’s best interest. There is an expectation that children and young people will receive information and support via or alongside their parents but local authorities must ensure that children and young people are able to receive information and support separately from their parents. The contract period will be with effect from 1 April 2020 for period of 36 months ending on 31 March 2023;option to extend for a further 24 month period. The Council anticipates that delivery of this service will cost no more than GBP 200 000 per annum.