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Development of a Specialist Therapeutic Children's Home for Children with Complex Mental Health, Disability and High-Risk Needs

Durham County Council

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

26 Oct 2026 at 13:20

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Planning

26 Oct 2026 at 12:59

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

Durham County Council is exploring a specialist therapeutic children’s home in County Durham for children with complex mental health, disability and high-risk needs. The service would provide up to three highly individualised placements, potentially including solo living where required, with enhanced staffing based on assessed need. Its intended purpose is to improve placement stability, reduce placement breakdown and reliance on unregistered, emergency or out-of-area provision, and help children remain closer to home where possible. The service would support planned moves to less restrictive environments when safe and appropriate, with strong links to education, health and community services. This is a health and social care service, rather than a purchase of goods or construction works.

The process is at planning: the Council has expressed an intention to procure, but has not issued an invitation to tender. It is conducting preliminary market engagement and asks providers to complete and return a questionnaire through the OPEN-UK website by 6 November 2026. This is a market-engagement date, not a tender submission deadline. The Council is considering a contract period from 1 March 2027 to 28 February 2030, with a possible extension to 28 February 2033. The procurement is planned as a single lot. No procurement procedure or method has yet been set out. The service model remains under consideration, informed by provider responses to the engagement.

This engagement is particularly relevant to providers with experience operating children’s residential care and delivering specialist therapeutic support for children with complex mental health, disability and high-risk needs. The Council is considering a home registered with Ofsted, so providers should be prepared to address the requirements of registration and operation as a children’s home. Relevant capability includes individualised care planning, solo placements, enhanced staffing where assessed as necessary, trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice, and Positive Behaviour Support. Providers able to support restriction reduction, progression planning and stable placements may be well placed to contribute. The Council is seeking views on fully provider-operated, partnership, clinically led and hybrid therapeutic residential models, as well as other innovative approaches; providers can use the engagement to explain which model they can deliver.

How relevant is this notice?

Notice Information

Notice Title

Development of a Specialist Therapeutic Children's Home for Children with Complex Mental Health, Disability and High-Risk Needs

Notice Description

Market Engagement for the development of a specialist therapeutic Children's Home for children with complex mental health, disability and high-risk needs in County Durham. The Council is exploring a service model that may: * Operate as an Ofsted-registered children's home. * Provide up to three highly individualised placements. * Support solo living arrangements when required. * Deliver enhanced staffing arrangements where assessed as needed. * Operate using trauma-informed & psychologically informed approaches. * Incorporate Positive Behaviour Support principles. * Support restriction reduction and progression planning. * Maintain strong links with education, health and community services. * Promote placement stability and reduce placement breakdown. * Support children to remain closer to home wherever possible. * Reduce reliance on unregistered, emergency and out-of-area provision. * Support planned transitions to less restrictive environments when safe and appropriate. The Council is interested in understanding whether providers would favour: * A fully provider-operated model. * A partnership model involving local authority and health partners. * A clinically led model. * A hybrid therapeutic residential model. * Alternative innovative delivery approaches.

Planning Information

Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) Questionnaire to be completed and returned. The Questionnaire can be accessed free of charge at www.open-uk.org using reference OPEN-PR-26102026130454805.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-079013
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101012-2026
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

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
26 Oct 2026Today
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Mar 2027 - 28 Feb 2030 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
Durham 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
DURHAM
Postcode
DH1 5WB
Postcode Area
Durham
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLC North East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLC4 Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLC41 Durham
Delivery Location
TLC14 Durham
Local Authority
County Durham
Electoral Ward
Framwellgate & Newton Hall
Westminster Constituency
City of Durham

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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