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Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service

Buckinghamshire Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Tender

22 Oct 2026 at 14:59

UK4 - Tender Notice
Planning

05 May 2026 at 13:45

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a provider for its Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service. The service must offer independent conversations to Buckinghamshire children aged 10 to 17 after a missing episode, including looked-after children placed outside the county. Conversations should normally take place within 72 hours of the child returning home or to their care setting. The provider must identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation, unmet needs and factors behind missing behaviour, and help develop actions to improve safety and prevent repeat episodes. The service also includes targeted interventions for children with repeat or persistent missing episodes, emerging vulnerabilities or unmet needs. Work includes contributing service insight to safeguarding and prevention partnerships, and arranging or delivering conversations for children placed outside Buckinghamshire. This is children’s welfare and social work provision.

The council invited offers through an open procedure. The procurement is for one service contract, with an initial term from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2030 and options for two further one-year extensions, potentially continuing to 31 March 2032. The stated total estimated value is £1,435,000. Bids were due by 19 November 2026 at 12:00, and the stated award decision date was 21 December 2026. Bids could be submitted electronically in English. Evaluation gives quality a 70% weighting and price 30%. The service is suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The requirement covers children across Buckinghamshire and includes Buckinghamshire looked-after children placed outside the county.

This opportunity suits providers with experience delivering independent, child-centred support after missing episodes, particularly for children and young people aged 10 to 17. Strong safeguarding practice is central: the service must recognise exploitation, vulnerability, unmet needs and drivers of repeated missing, and turn findings into practical safety and prevention actions. Providers should be able to deliver interventions for persistent or repeat cases and work effectively with a multi-agency network, contributing useful intelligence to safeguarding, contextual safeguarding and disruption activity. The contract also calls for operational reach beyond the county: suppliers must secure out-of-county conversations, either through direct delivery or by managing and quality-assuring arrangements with host local authorities or subcontractors. Organisations able to provide consistent, independent conversations and coordinate partners across locations are well placed to meet the requirement.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service

Notice Description

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking to recommission its Missing Children and Independent Return Home Conversation Service. Statutory guidance requires children who have been reported missing to be offered an independent Return Home Conversation following their return, with the conversation normally taking place within 72 hours of the child returning home or to their care setting. The Service will provide independent Return Home Conversations for eligible Buckinghamshire children and young people aged 10 to 17 inclusive following a missing episode, including Buckinghamshire children looked after who are placed outside the county. The Service will identify safeguarding concerns, exploitation, unmet needs and factors contributing to missing behaviour, and support the identification and implementation of actions to improve safety and reduce repeat missing episodes. It will also provide Missing Interventions for children experiencing repeat or persistent missing episodes, emerging vulnerabilities or unmet needs. The Provider will work within a multi-agency framework and use information gathered through service delivery to inform safeguarding, prevention, contextual safeguarding, disruption activity, strategic insight and partnership responses. The Provider will be responsible for delivering or securing out-of-county Return Home Conversations, including directly delivering conversations where appropriate and managing and quality assuring any subcontracted or host local authority arrangements. The Contract will have an initial term of three years, with the option to extend for up to two further one-year periods, giving a maximum potential Contract term of five years.

Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: The Contract will have an initial term of three years, with the option to extend for up to two further one-year periods, giving a maximum potential Contract term of five years.

Planning Information

Market engagement to help shape the scope of the upcoming procurement exercise.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-069161
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/100062-2026
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

85300000 - Social work and related services

85310000 - Social work services

85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,435,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
22 Oct 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
19 Nov 20263 weeks to go
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Apr 2027 - 31 Mar 2030 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

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

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
Buckinghamshire 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
AYLESBURY
Postcode
HP19 8FF
Postcode Area
Hemel Hempstead
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ13 Buckinghamshire
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Buckinghamshire
Electoral Ward
Aylesbury North West
Westminster Constituency
Aylesbury

Further Information

Notice Documents

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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