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TD2371 - Children's Rights Service - Advocacy and Independent Visitor Provision

DERBY CITY COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

26 Jun 2026 at 09:02

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

31 Mar 2026 at 09:11

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Derby City Council is in the tender stage of the procurement process for the provision of a Children's Rights Service, focusing on advocacy and Independent Visitor services for vulnerable children and young people. This initiative, titled "TD2371 - Children's Rights Service - Advocacy and Independent Visitor Provision," falls under the health and social work services category. It is part of a broader local government reorganisation strategy in the UKF11 region of the United Kingdom. The tender is managed through an open procedure, with expressions of interest needed by 11:30 pm on 27th July 2026 and bid submissions due by 10:00 am on 28th July 2026. The estimated contract value is approximately £820,000, with scalability built into the contract to accommodate potential service scope modifications due to the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation. The contract is expected to start on 20th November 2026 and may extend until 19th November 2031.

This opportunity is ideal for businesses specialising in child advocacy and social work services, especially those experienced in engaging with children in care or requiring advocacy in Child Protection Conferences. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with capabilities in scaling services according to evolving governmental needs will find this tender particularly advantageous. The inclusion of statutory compliance and potential expansion underlines the contract's adaptability, offering long-term growth potential for suitable providers. Companies with experience in supporting family decisions and implementing innovative advocacy models will be well-positioned to contribute to and benefit from this strategic service enhancement.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

TD2371 - Children's Rights Service - Advocacy and Independent Visitor Provision

Notice Description

Provision of an independent Children's Rights Service including advocacy, representation, and Independent Visitor services for children and young people who are looked after or leaving care, privately fostered, have disabilities, or require advocacy for Child Protection Conferences. The service must support a minimum of 40 children and young people at any one time and provide representatives for at least 50 Child Protection or ACYP meetings per year. The service must be flexible, child centred, and compliant with statutory duties including the Children Act 1989 and Care Planning Regulations 2010. Please note suppliers wishing to express interest and obtain the documentation must do so by 11.30pm on Monday 27th July 2026. It is recommended that you express interest and obtain the documentation well before this time to allow sufficient time to prepare and submit a bid. The deadline for returns is 10.00am on Tuesday 28th July 2026. Documents are available at www.eastmidstenders.org Please search for TD2371. Please note: we will only accept expressions of interest through the e-tendering system. This procurement takes place within in the context of the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), which may result in changes to council structures and service delivery responsibilities during the contract term. The estimated contract value stated in this notice includes potential future requirements which may arise because of LGR. This includes indicative increases in service scope or volume over the life of the contract. These elements are included for planning purposes and flexibility within the contract and do not represent committed spend. Full details are provided in the tender documents. This approach is intended to ensure the contract remains scalable and fit for purpose throughout its duration.

Planning Information

Actions undertake so far: 1 - The Council has undertaken benchmarking with a range of local and national local authorities to understand current Children's Rights Service models, including who delivers the service, what elements are included, and how other areas are incorporating Families First Partnership Programme (FFPP) requirements. Benchmarking also explored how Children's Rights Services support participation and advocacy within Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) and wider family network decision making, as well as any FFPP related outcomes or KPIs. 2 - In parallel, the Council carried out soft market testing with both local and national providers. Providers were invited to share their understanding of FFPP, their experience of delivering services aligned to Family Help and FGDM reforms, and how a Children's Rights Service could best support children's voices within these processes. Providers also commented on potential delivery models, independence, accessibility, and key commissioning considerations. 3 - Local providers were contacted directly, while national providers are now able to participate via the contact details provided below to ensure open and inclusive engagement. Feedback from both exercises will inform the development of the proposed service model and its alignment with FFPP principles. We would now welcome any further comments from providers as outlined above and outside of those already contacted so far on the proposed service and its delivery. A copy of the existing service specification can be obtained from sophie.pickles@derby.gov.uk Further comments and contributions into the pre-market engagement can also be submitted to this email address.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06789f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/060140-2026
Current Stage
Tender
All Stages
Planning, Tender

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK4 - Tender Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
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
£820,000 £500K-£1M
Lots Value
£820,000 £500K-£1M
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Jun 20266 days ago
Submission Deadline
28 Jul 20264 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
1 Jun 2026Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
20 Nov 2026 - 19 Nov 2028 2-3 years
Recurrence
2031-06-18

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DERBY 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
DERBY
Postcode
DE1 2FS
Post Town
Derby
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLF East Midlands (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLF11 Derby
Delivery Location
TLF11 Derby
Local Authority
Derby
Electoral Ward
Darley
Westminster Constituency
Derby South

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

JSON Markdown

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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