Notice Information
Notice Title
Independent Advocacy Services
Notice Description
Independent Advocacy means supporting a person to understand information, express their needs and wishes, secure their rights and represent their interests if they might have substantial difficulty doing so themselves. They help individuals understand their options, make informed decisions, and express their wishes, whether it's in relation to care planning, assessments, or challenging decisions. The Service enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people, Carers, those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own wellbeing and social care. Independent advocates help people to access information and services and to explore their options. Advocates deliver services independent of West Northamptonshire Council and on an impartial basis. The independent advocate aims to support people in a direct and empowering way by providing them with the necessary information to make their own informed decision. Advocacy promotes equality, social justice, social inclusion and human rights. The advocacy service in WNC will require advocates to be trained in all the different types of advocacy, to enable a seamless advocacy service and prevent a person having to tell their story repetitively to different advocates, the same advocate should provide support in multiple advocate roles, provided they are trained and qualified to do so. WNC commissions Independent Statutory Advocacy to deliver the following types of advocacy: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and Relevant Person's Paid Representatives (RPPR) Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) Rule 1.2 Representative
Planning Information
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will shortly be re-procuring their Independent Advocacy Services Contract, with a new Contract due to start on 1st April 2026. Independent Advocacy means supporting a person to understand information, express their needs and wishes, secure their rights and represent their interests if they might have substantial difficulty doing so themselves. They help individuals understand their options, make informed decisions, and express their wishes, whether it's in relation to care planning, assessments, or challenging decisions. The Service enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people, Carers, those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own wellbeing and social care. Independent advocates help people to access information and services and to explore their options. Advocates deliver services independent of West Northamptonshire Council and on an impartial basis. The independent advocate aims to support people in a direct and empowering way by providing them with the necessary information to make their own informed decision. Advocacy promotes equality, social justice, social inclusion and human rights. The advocacy service in WNC will require advocates to be trained in all the different types of advocacy, to enable a seamless advocacy service and prevent a person having to tell their story repetitively to different advocates, the same advocate should provide support in multiple advocate roles, provided they are trained and qualified to do so. WNC commissions Independent Statutory Advocacy to deliver the following types of advocacy: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and Relevant Person's Paid Representatives (RPPR) Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) Rule 1.2 Representative At this stage, the Council is testing the market to get an indication of the potential number of providers who are able to deliver this service and may consider bidding when the full tender is published. If your organisation would like to express an interest in this opportunity, please email procurement@westnorthants.gov.uk with the subject line: EOI Independent Advocacy Services FAO Kayley Lakin, and include details of your organisation and why you feel that you have the relevant experience and knowledge to be able to deliver this service. The deadline for expressions of interest is close of business, Friday 15th August 2025. Please note that responding to this soft market test does not in any way give an advantage or disadvantage any Provider during the tender process. Providers who do not respond are also not disadvantaged and are still able to bid at tender stage. This soft market test is for information only to advise the Council of the current market conditions. Responding to this, or any other soft market test does not guarantee any Provider any work with the Council.
Notice Details
Publication & Lifecycle
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-056566
- Publication Source
- Find A Tender Service
- Latest Notice
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042752-2025
- Current Stage
- Planning
- All Stages
- Planning
Procurement Classification
- Notice Type
- UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Procurement Type
- Standard
- Procurement Category
- Services
- Procurement Method
- Not Specified
- Procurement Method Details
- Not specified
- Tender Suitability
- Not specified
- Awardee Scale
- Not specified
Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)
- CPV Divisions
85 - Health and social work services
-
- CPV Codes
85312310 - Guidance services
Notice Value(s)
- Tender Value
- £4,050,793 £1M-£10M
- Lots Value
- Not specified
- Awards Value
- Not specified
- Contracts Value
- Not specified
Notice Dates
- Publication Date
- 24 Jul 20257 months ago
- Submission Deadline
- Not specified
- Future Notice Date
- 1 Oct 2025Expired
- Award Date
- Not specified
- Contract Period
- 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
- Recurrence
- Not specified
Notice Status
- Tender Status
- Planning
- Lots Status
- Planning
- Awards Status
- Not Specified
- Contracts Status
- Not Specified
Buyer & Supplier
Contracting Authority (Buyer)
- Main Buyer
- WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL
- Contact Name
- Not specified
- Contact Email
- procurement@westnorthants.gov.uk
- Contact Phone
- Not specified
Buyer Location
- Locality
- NORTHAMPTON
- Postcode
- NN1 1ED
- Post Town
- Northampton
- Country
- England
-
- Major Region (ITL 1)
- TLF East Midlands (England)
- Basic Region (ITL 2)
- TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire
- Small Region (ITL 3)
- TLF24 West Northamptonshire
- Delivery Location
- TLF24 West Northamptonshire
-
- Local Authority
- West Northamptonshire
- Electoral Ward
- Castle
- Westminster Constituency
- Northampton North
Further Information
Notice Documents
-
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042752-2025
24th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender
Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)
View full OCDS Record for this contracting process
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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