Award

Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy (DASCAT) Service

WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 3 releases in its history.

Award

16 Jan 2026 at 15:15

Award

08 Dec 2025 at 12:26

Tender

29 Sep 2025 at 08:21

Summary of the contracting process

Warwickshire County Council has completed the procurement process for the Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy Service (DASCAT), aimed at supporting victim-survivors of domestic abuse across Warwickshire. The service, which is an open procedure, falls under the health and social work services industry category and involves a contract valued at £3,059,000 with scope for extension. The contract has been awarded to LISTENING EAR (MERSEYSIDE) and spans from 1 June 2026 to 30 September 2029, with potential extensions up to 2033. The procurement process followed a competitive flexible procedure and included critical milestones such as the tender and award stages completed by December 2025 and January 2026, respectively.

This procurement presents significant opportunities for businesses, particularly SMEs with expertise in counselling and mental health services, to expand their reach in delivering critical social services. The contract requires the provider to offer a comprehensive range of therapeutic services, both in-person and online, which must be accessible across all districts of Warwickshire. The service's aim of providing high-quality, inclusive counselling fits well for organisations acquainted with public contracts and those accredited or pursuing accreditation with professional bodies like BACP, NCPS, or UKCP. The focus on flexible service delivery offers further scope for innovation and development, making it an attractive proposition for businesses looking to solidify their presence in the social impact domain.

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Notice Title

Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy (DASCAT) Service

Notice Description

Warwickshire County Council (the Council) is seeking to award a single contract for the delivery of a Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy (DASCAT) Service for adults and children across Warwickshire. The service will provide specialist counselling and therapy to victim-survivors of domestic abuse, whether they are residing in safe/relevant accommodation or in their own homes (please see the Domestic Act 2021 for specification of safe/relevant accommodation). The service is expected to support a minimum of 400 victim-survivors of domestic abuse annually, through a combination of 1:1 and group sessions. Of these, at least 300 individuals are expected to receive an average of 10 1:1 counselling/therapy sessions each. The service will support both adult and child victim-survivors of domestic abuse. In line with the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, children are recognised as victims in their own right, entitled to protection, support, and recovery services tailored to their unique experiences and needs. Current demand for the service suggests therapeutic interventions will be required for a minimum of 240 adult victim-survivors (60%) and 160 children/young people victim survivors (40%) per year, with approximately half residing in safe/relevant accommodation. The service will be delivered countywide, with a mix of face-to-face, online, and telephone based support, and must be accessible across all five districts and boroughs. Delivery must be flexible to meet the needs of victim-survivors, including availability during evenings, weekends, and school holidays. The Council intends to award this contract to one provider who can demonstrate the ability to deliver a high-quality, inclusive, and evidence-based counselling and therapy service. The service must be registered with or working towards accreditation with a recognised professional body (e.g. BACP, NCPS, UKCP) and be able to deliver a range of counselling and therapeutic interventions, that can be delivered through 1:1 and group sessions. Aim of service: The primary aim of the service is to support victim-survivors of domestic abuse to recover and heal from their domestic abuse experiences, through the provision of a Domestic Abuse Specialist Counselling and Therapy Service. The service will seek to reduce the harmful impact of domestic abuse on victim-survivors' mental health and well-being. Domestic abuse often leads to long-term physical injuries, chronic pain, and mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Therapy can play a crucial role in preventing and addressing the harmful effects of domestic abuse by: * Helping victim-survivors learn strategies to protect themselves and seek help before situations become more dangerous. * Breaking the intergenerational cycle of trauma impact. By engaging victim-survivors in effective therapeutic interventions to improve their wellbeing and provide trauma stabilisation, it is expected that the likelihood of intergenerational/ transgenerational trauma on child victim-survivors will be consequentially reduced. Survivors of domestic abuse are at a higher risk of suicide or self-harm due to the trauma they experience. Therapeutic Counselling provides a safe space to process emotions and develop healthier coping strategies.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Options: Development and adaptation of the service as detailed in the Specification.

Renewal: The initial contract term will be for 3 years and 4 months however the Council reserves the right to extend the contract by further periods not exceeding 48 months (48 being the maximum available extension period) at the discretion of the Council based on the contract performance of the successful applicant.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-05a3b0
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003997-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Tender, Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK7 - Contract Details Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Open
Procurement Method Details
Competitive flexible procedure
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
SME

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

98 - Other community, social and personal services


CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£3,059,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
£3,059,000 £1M-£10M
Awards Value
£3,059,000 £1M-£10M
Contracts Value
£3,059,000 £1M-£10M

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Jan 20261 months ago
Submission Deadline
28 Oct 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
8 Dec 20252 months ago
Contract Period
31 May 2026 - 30 Sep 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Active

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
procurement@warwickshire.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
WARWICK
Postcode
CV34 4SA
Post Town
Coventry
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLG West Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLG1 Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLG13 Warwickshire CC
Delivery Location
TLG13 Warwickshire CC

Local Authority
Warwick
Electoral Ward
Warwick Saltisford
Westminster Constituency
Warwick and Leamington

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

LISTENING EAR (MERSEYSIDE

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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