--- title: "Step Up to Social Care" ocid: "ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692.json" source: "Contracts Finder" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "KENT COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2025-06-10" --- # Step Up to Social Care Buyer: KENT COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692.json) ## Summary Kent County Council (KCC) has awarded a contract to the University of Kent for the provision of educational services under the programme titled "Step Up to Social Care." This contract focuses on training high-calibre social workers to meet professional standards, funded by a grant from the Department for Education. The programme, aimed at addressing the educational needs for social care services, will be executed over a 14-month period starting on 1st January 2026, with services delivered both in-person and virtually across the South East of England. The contract involves a direct award under special circumstances due to the importance of continuity with the same provider, resulting in no requirement for a competitive tendering process. This decision was justified by the CPV category 80000000-4 for education and training services. This tender can significantly contribute to business growth for large educational institutions and organisations specialising in social care training and education. The contract supports the training of social workers, addressing an essential public service need, thus providing opportunities for these institutions to expand their expertise and deliver high-quality training services. Given the substantial funding and long-term engagement, businesses with experience in educational service provision and willingness to engage in public sector partnerships would be particularly well-suited to similar future opportunities. The need for professional, qualified staff and effective implementation denotes a potential for skilled educational entities to make a substantial impact on community support services. ## Notice Kent County Council has awarded a contract to the University of Kent to provide the Step Up to Social Care educational services in accordance with the requirements of Kent County Council (KCC) which includes: 1. Provision of appropriate educational services inline with the Professional Standards for Education and Training", for a maximum of 20 students to produce high calibre social workers conversant with the necessary Knowledge and Skills Statements as set out by the Chief Social Worker, utilizing both theoretical classroom-based education and practice placements. 2. To ensure methods of teaching are carried out in a hybrid approach of in person and virtual learning opportunities. 3. Create, manage and execute, in partnership with the Council and its partners, an agreed admissions process, including DBS checking. 4. To achieve and maintain any and all standard both internal and external to the Provider required to provide the services, inline with "Social Work England Education and Training Standards 2021" 5. To provide Practice Educators for a maximum of 20 students for both 70 and 100 day placements and ensure that all expectations of their role are carried out including appropriate reporting of students progression of their learning and work via their assessments of their capability at each stage; 6. To undertake the programme within 14 months. 7. To ensure that the services are provided by appropriate, qualified staff at all times. 8. To provide all appropriate, agreed and otherwise necessary and reasonably expected student support services. 9. To provide all agreed and other reasonable required reports 10. To maintain the minimum service levels. This services will be delivered to the Kent County Council and Medway Council, delivering social worker training that will produce qualified social care workers for both Councils. KCC as lead is commissioning services for both Councils. The funding for the services for KCC and Medway Council is fully provided in the form of a grant from the Department for Education (DfE). The services are light touch services (CPV code 80000000-4) , and the contract is awarded by KCC to the University of Kent as a direct award given the importance of continuing the provision of these services with the same provider, as was envisaged from the outset in the original contract with the provider which reserved the right for the Council to procure additional repetitions of similar training for additional cohorts from the Provider in the event that additional funding was forthcoming from the DFE. DFE funding has since been obtained and is being utilised to commission these repeat similar services. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Contracts Finder | | Latest notice | https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d13c9e2c-7f5f-43eb-9724-3d3bc18a95e2 | | Notice type | Award Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Other - Direct Award under special clause with the previous step up to social care contract due to the importance of continuing the provision of the service. | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Large | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 10 Jun 2025 | | Submission deadline | 10 Feb 2025 | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 10 Feb 2025 | | Contract period | 1 Jan 2026 - 1 Mar 2027 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £231,462 | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | £231,462 | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Not specified | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | KENT COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | MAIDSTONE | | Post town | Rochester | | Postcode | ME14 1XQ | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent | | ITL 3 | TLJ45 Mid Kent | | Local authority | Maidstone | | Electoral ward | Penenden Heath | | Westminster constituency | Maidstone and Malling | | Delivery location | TLJ South East (England) | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 80 - Education and training services ### Codes - 80000000 - Education and training services ## Release History - 10 Jun 2025 at 08:22 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d13c9e2c-7f5f-43eb-9724-3d3bc18a95e2 ## Documents - https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d13c9e2c-7f5f-43eb-9724-3d3bc18a95e2 10th June 2025 - Awarded contract notice on Contracts Finder ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-b5fd17-bc9ef04a-7ef9-4f6b-a029-b55f4853e692.json.