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CWC26105 - SEND Reforms Consultancy Services

Wolverhampton City Council

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

17 Jul 2026 at 14:40

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Wolverhampton City Council procured consultancy services for a focused diagnostic of its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The work covers barriers affecting the timeliness and effectiveness of statutory processes, particularly Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Education, Health and Care Plans. It also examines the use and suitability of specialist provision and alternative provision, bringing together evidence from education, health and social care partners. The purpose is to identify practical improvements, strengthen collaboration and provide an evidence base for future SEND transformation. This is a health and social work service delivered for Wolverhampton and its wider partnership system, with schools central to the intended improvement approach.

The procurement is complete and was awarded through a direct award. The contract was awarded to Impower Consulting Limited on 11 July 2026 for £178,000 including the stated currency of GBP. The contract period runs from 13 July 2026 to 31 October 2026, covering a 15-week diagnostic project. The tender submission deadline was 11 July 2026 at 18:35. The awarded work is intended to investigate current practice, identify causes of pressure and delay, assess specialist and alternative provision pathways, and agree practical next steps for improvement activity. The procurement was classified as services and marked as unsuitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community or social enterprises.

For a future requirement of this kind, credible suppliers would need specialist SEND consultancy capability and experience of diagnosing complex local systems rather than reviewing one service in isolation. Relevant expertise would include statutory assessment and Education, Health and Care Plan processes, specialist placements, alternative provision, inclusion, demand and financial pressures, and the interaction between education, health and social care. Suppliers would also need to engage schools and partner organisations effectively, analyse shared intelligence, test current practice and turn findings into practical improvement actions. The awarded supplier was a consultancy classified as an SME, although this procurement was marked as unsuitable for SMEs and VCSEs. The buyer’s requirement points to evidence-led transformation experience and the capacity to deliver a focused, time-limited diagnostic.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

CWC26105 - SEND Reforms Consultancy Services

Notice Description

Wolverhampton, in line with national trends, faces sustained growth in the number and complexity of children requiring additional SEND support. Specifically, the Council continues to experience rising demand for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs), and an increasing number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) being issued and maintained. This increase in demand is also creating sufficiency and financial pressures, with specialist placement demand increasing. Reliance on high cost, external specialist independent provision is a significant issue. Given the system-wide issues that are nationally recognised around SEND, there is a need for significant transformation. Publication of a Government SEND reform White Paper sets out a multi-year programme of reform intended to create a more sustainable national system. Within Wolverhampton, the partnership is taking a proactive approach and has a strong ambition to move towards a more inclusive, proactive and financially sustainable SEND system - with schools at the centre, improved collaboration between education, health and care partners, and decisions driven by robust, shared intelligence rather than immediate pressure. At this stage, the priority for CWC is a focused diagnostic phase to help the Council better understand a small number of persistent system challenges and identify practical opportunities for improvement, specifically: * Understand the system and process barriers affecting the timeliness and effectiveness of statutory processes, particularly Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) * Explore how specialist provision is currently being used, whether this is aligned to children and young people's needs, and where greater clarity or consistency may be required * Review the role of alternative provision within the wider SEND and inclusion system, including how and when it is used and the extent to which it is supporting positive pathways * Bring together insight from education, health and social care partners so that the diagnostic reflects the whole system rather than the local authority alone * Provide a clear evidence base, practical findings and agreed next steps to inform subsequent improvement activity from autumn 2026 onwards This service is a 15-week diagnostic project running from July to October 2026. The work is designed to explore current practice in depth, understand what is driving pressure or delay, and identify where targeted changes could improve system effectiveness and outcomes for children and young people.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-8b7c887c-fc20-4625-8deb-b4f3af9d2c2f
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/89128cec-7ccc-4948-9931-cb9bd1e97997
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£178,000 £100K-£500K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£178,000 £100K-£500K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
17 Jul 20262 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
11 Jul 20262 months ago
Contract Period
13 Jul 2026 - 31 Oct 2026 1-6 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Wolverhampton City Council
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
WOLVERHAMPTON
Postcode
WV1 1RL
Postcode Area
Wolverhampton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG3 West Midlands
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG39 Wolverhampton
Delivery Location
TLG West Midlands (England)
Local Authority
Wolverhampton
Electoral Ward
St Peters
Westminster Constituency
Wolverhampton West

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

Impower Consulting Ltd

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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