Planning

CN250238 - Homecare

KENT COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Planning

08 Apr 2026 at 14:53

Planning

13 Jun 2025 at 09:39

Planning

13 Jun 2025 at 09:17

Summary of the contracting process

Kent County Council is planning the procurement of Homecare Services under an open procedure, focusing on services for children and adults within Kent, UK, including those residing in prisons. The procurement is categorised under health and social work services and is currently in the planning stage, with a framework agreement anticipated to be established. Key dates include a tender period ending on 26 June 2026, and service provision starting from 1 April 2027. The framework is designed as a light touch regime, indicating a more flexible approach under the applicable procurement laws. Interested parties can engage with the Council through events like the market engagement scheduled for 9 July 2025, aimed at discussing the services and procurement regulations introduced by the Procurement Act 2023.

The Homecare procurement offers significant opportunities for growth, particularly for SMEs and VCSEs, given its substantial financial scale, with a gross value estimate of £688 million. The tender is an open framework, inviting CQC-registered homecare providers to deliver high-quality, individualised care across Kent. The procurement includes lots focusing on adult services, care within prison settings, and community support for children. By offering personalised and flexible care, businesses can enhance community support networks and contribute to improved wellbeing, thus making it well-suited for providers specialising in health and social care services eager to expand their service footprint within a structured, large-scale contract framework.

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Notice Title

CN250238 - Homecare

Notice Description

Kent County Council is seeking Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered Homecare Service Providers to deliver support to Children and Adults living within the geographical boundary of Kent, including individuals who may require homecare services while residing in prison settings. The Council is establishing a Homecare Light Touch Open Framework, and invites providers who can deliver safe, high-quality, personalised, and flexible care within both home and community environments across Kent. Providers appointed to the Framework will be expected to: - Deliver care and support that promotes safety, dignity, independence, and wellbeing. - Offer personalised, needs-led support tailored to each Individual's circumstances. - Work collaboratively to ensure that Individuals who draw on care and support receive services that enhance their quality of life and reflect their unique requirements. For full details and to respond to this opportunity, please visit the Delta eSourcing Portal: https://www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk/respond/E75WRT7Z7X

Lot Information

Homecare for Adult Services

Lot 1 Homecare for Adult Services provides practical, day-to-day to care and support to help Individuals over the age of 18 years of age remain safe, independent, and well in their own homes. It covers essential personal care tasks such as washing, dressing, grooming, continence care and oral hygiene and helps those who require assistance with personal daily living activities but do not require clinical interventions delivered by health professionals. Suppliers may support with medication prompting and other basic health related tasks where these are ancillary to social care needs, while all clinical or prescribed treatments remain the responsibility of NHS services. The lot also includes assistance with nutrition and hydration, meal preparation, and help with eating and drinking, alongside evening and night settling routines. Wider support extends to safeguarding awareness, community access, essential errands, and maintaining a habitable home environment through light domestic tasks carried out as part of a regulated care call. Carers are expected to follow all manual handling and equipment plans and to identify early signs of health deterioration, ensuring timely referrals to health professionals and notifications to the Council.

Renewal: Initial Contract Period: 2 years Contract Extension Period: Up to 2 years, plus 2 years and final 2 years

Care and Support in the Prison Setting

Lot 1 Additional Service - Care and Support in the Prison Setting delivers essential personal care and support to Prisoners within the Sheppey Prison Cluster (HMP Elmley, HMP Standford Hill and HMP Swaleside), helping Individuals to maintain independence and dignity whilst in custody. The service focuses on regulated social care tasks aligned to assessed Care Act needs, including personal care, mobility support, nutrition, continence care, and safe daily living, delivered exclusively as doublehanded care to ensure safety and compliance within a secure environment. Care/Support Workers must complete full HMPPS vetting and prison-specific training, operate within restricted access times, and work in close partnership with the KCC Social Care Prison Team and the onsite Healthcare Supplier, who remain responsible for clinical and medical tasks. Suppliers are required to deliver up to 98 block hours of care each week and the service supports continuity, safety, and wellbeing under highly controlled conditions and ensures that vulnerable Adults in custody receive the same standard of social care as those in the community. As the service delivery location for Care and Support in the Prison Setting is fixed, and the planned annual spend is PS125,269, it would not be desirable or practical for more than one Supplier to deliver the service within the prison environment. It is proposed that a single block contract is awarded to one Supplier by either mini competition or direct award. Only Providers who are successful for Lot 1 - Homecare for Adult Services and express an interest in providing the Additional Service, will be able to tender for this service.

Renewal: Initial Contract Period: 2 years Contract Extension Period: Up to 2 years, plus 2 years and final 2 years

Community Support Services for Children

Lot 2 - Community Support Services for Children provides personalised, flexible care and community-based support for Disabled Children and Young People aged 0-18, enabling them to live safely at home, develop skills, and participate fully in family and community life. The service includes regulated personal care, delegated health tasks, behaviour support, support with daily routines, and assistance with accessing education, leisure, and community activities. Support is delivered across three levels - Standard, Complex, and Crisis based on assessed need, and may include daytime, evening, weekend, or overnight provision. Suppliers must deliver care in line with each child's Child/Young Person Plan, operate within CQC regulatory requirements for Disabled Children and Young People's personal care, and work closely with families, Social Workers, schools, and health professionals to promote independence, safeguard wellbeing, and achieve meaningful outcomes. The service places the child's voice, dignity, and aspirations at the centre of planning, and plays a key role in early intervention, preventing family breakdown, and preparing young people effectively for adulthood.

Renewal: Initial Contract Period: 2 years Contract Extension Period: Up to 2 years, plus 2 years and final 2 years

Planning Information

This in-person Market Engagement Event will take place on Wednesday 9th July 2025 from 9.30 AM to 4.30PM at the Mercure Great Danes Hotel, Maidstone, ME17 1RE. Service Providers who wish to attend the event, may express their interest, by booking a place, using the link below: https://forms.office.com/e/1nqG5tCAz3 Kent County Council reserves the right to deliver additional market engagement events during this period. Please note any future events may be delivered virtually or face to face.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-054839
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/032081-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Open procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

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
£688,000,000 £100M-£1B
Lots Value
£687,673,528 £100M-£1B
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
8 Apr 20264 days ago
Submission Deadline
26 Jun 20263 months to go
Future Notice Date
18 May 20262 months to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2027 - 31 Mar 2029 2-3 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
KENT COUNTY 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
MAIDSTONE
Postcode
ME14 1XQ
Post Town
Rochester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ4 Kent
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ45 Mid Kent
Delivery Location
TLJ4 Kent

Local Authority
Maidstone
Electoral Ward
Penenden Heath
Westminster Constituency
Maidstone and Malling

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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