Children And Families Support Services (CAFSS) West Midlands
Deadline:29 May 2026, 21:59
Tender information
Solihull
Telford and Wrekin
Coventry
Shropshire CC
Herefordshire, County of
Stoke-on-Trent
Worcestershire
Staffordshire CC
Warwickshire
Dudley
Sandwell
Walsall
Wolverhampton
United Kingdom
Birmingham
Type
Contract
Procedure
Restricted procedure
Estimated value
£231,711,000
Children and Families Support Services will provide non-accommodation services to children, young people and families. The following West Midlands Local Authorities and Trusts are also intending to use this DPS.
These include the following - Staffordshire County Council, Birmingham Children’s Trust Community Interest Company, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, The County of Herefordshire District Council, Sandwell Children’s Trust, Shropshire Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, The Council of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Walsall Council, Warwickshire County Council, City of Wolverhampton Council, Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Children First, Birmingham City Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, and Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group
Therapy
Lot 1 - Therapy - consists of 25 different Categories - Category 1 - Play Therapy, Category 2 - Thera play, Category 3 – Therapeutic/Attachment focused parenting support, Category 4 - Therapeutic Life Story work, Category 5 - Psychotherapy, Category 6 - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Category 7 - Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Category 8 - Solution Focused BRIEF Therapy, Category 9 - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the child, Category 10 - Multi Systemic Therapy, Category 11 - Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Category 12 - Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (branch of CBT), Category 13 - Neuro Integration System Therapy (NIS) , Category 14 - Educational Psychotherapy, Category 15 - Art, Category 16 - Music, Category 17 - Drama, Category 18 - Lego therapy, Category 19 - Dance Movement Therapy, Category 20 – Group Programmes, Category 21 - Non-Violent Resistance (NVR), Category 22 - Secure Base / Safe Base Parenting Programme, Category 23 - Therapeutic support for sexualised behaviour/ sexually harmful behaviour, Category 24 - Specialist Assessment, Category 25 – Counselling
The DPS is a 2-stage process:
Stage 1 - All providers who meet the selection criteria within the online Questionnaire and are not excluded will be admitted to the DPS. New providers can also apply to join the DPS at any point during its lifetime.
Stage 2 - Contracts are awarded during the second stage. A Call-Off competition will be put out inviting each approved provider on the DPS Approved Provider list relating to the particular Lot.
Psychological Assessment
The type of Psychological Assessment required to be undertaken by the Provider will depend on whether it is Court directed or whether the Lead Council/Contracting Authority is directing the work. The requirement will be identified within the initial referral and detailed within the ISA (Individual Service Agreement).
Parent and Child Community Parenting Assessment
The service will be provided to parents and their children who are required to undertake an assessment of their parenting capacity and / or ability.
Parent and Child Residential Parenting Assessment
Residential Parenting Assessments conducted in a Residential Family Centre are intended to provide robust, fair and evidence based assessments of parenting skills and capability for Local Authorities and the Courts.
Supervised Contact
Supervised contact will be required to ensure the physical safety and emotional wellbeing of a child during contact with family. It also assists in building and sustaining positive relationships.
Family Group Conference
A family group conference is a process led by family members to plan and make decisions for a child who is at risk, often with support from an advocate.
Mediation
The purpose of this service is to support families who are in conflict, meet with an independent trained mediator to help them settle their differences.
Secure Transport
The purpose of this service is to offer Secure Transport/ supported transport in circumstances where a child (ren) or young person(s) cannot be transported safely.
Occupational Therapy
This service aims to support children and young people to be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives and to function to the best of their ability.
Speech and Language Therapy
This service aims to provide treatment, support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing.
Independent Person Service
This service aim is for an Independent Person required to take part in the criteria review of children and young people in Secure Accommodation or SAR under Regulation 15 of the Children (Secure Accommodation) Regulations 1991.
Form F
The aim of this service is to primarily identify whether an applicant or applicants are suitable to be approved as foster carers, determine which kind of fostering and consider any terms of approval.
Form C
This service aims to gather information about whether or not a specific family member is able to provide care to a child in the short term and long term.
Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
This service aims to complete a special guardianship order assessment to determine the suitability of the proposed Special Guardian/s.
SEND Mediation & Disagreement Resolution Services
This service aims to deliver Mediation by an independent third party (facilitator) and is designed to bring two parties together to clarify issues and help settle disagreements. SEND mediation arrangements are set out in Children and Families Act 2014 which apply specifically to parents and young people who are considering appealing to the Tribunal about EHC needs assessments and the special educational element of an EHC plan or who want mediation on the health and social care elements of an EHC plan.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires all local authorities to make arrangements for parents and young people to receive information about mediation so that they can take part in mediation if they so choose before a possible appeal to the Tribunal.
Return Home Interviews
The purpose of this service is to gain in-depth discussions and identify and deal with any harm the child has suffered. Also to understand and try to address the reasons why the child or young person ran away, help the child feel safe and understand that they have options to prevent repeat instances of them running away.
Positive Behaviour Support
The purpose of this service is to provide the right support for a person, their family and friends to help people lead a meaningful life and learn new skills without unnecessary restrictions.
Parental Advocacy Service
This service will aim to provide Advocacy to help people who have substantial difficulty to, say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy providers work in partnership with the people they support and take their side.
Children And Young People Mentoring And Advice
This service will assist a child or young person to come through their current difficulties and stresses and be able to lead self-fulfilling lives and build for the future.
Positive Activities/One Day Experiences
This service will offer an opportunity to provide professionally organised activities, giving experiences for children and young people that they wouldn’t normally get in their everyday lives.
Buyer
Telford & Wrekin Council
Documents
Buyer
Telford & Wrekin Council
Deadline passed
Important dates
2 Feb - Publication date
29 May - Deadline
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