---
title: "Independent Fostering Framework Agreement"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-02e225"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-02e225"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02e225.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02e225.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "KENT COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2024-04-19"
---

# Independent Fostering Framework Agreement

Buyer: KENT COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-02e225

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## Summary

The Kent County Council and Medway Council have recently completed an Independent Fostering Framework Agreement that involves commissioning stable, high-quality foster care homes for children aged 0-18 years. The framework aims to provide various types of placements like short-term, long-term, parent and child homes, and emergency care beds. The agreement was awarded under a tender with a focus on quality criteria, and the contract is valued at £44.4 million for Kent County Council and £24.5 million for Medway Council over four years.

This tender presents opportunities for Independent Fostering Providers to offer specialist care services for vulnerable young people. Businesses suited for this opportunity are those experienced in social work and related services. The lots within the framework agreement cater to a range of foster care needs, including short-term, long-term, and emergency placements. Suppliers selected for the award include a mix of both small and large-scale fostering agencies, demonstrating a diverse and inclusive procurement process.

## Notice

Kent County Council and Medway Council have awarded a framework agreement to a number of Independent Fostering Providers who will provide a range of stable, high-quality foster care homes for children 0-18 years old that value, support and encourage them to grow and develop as individuals. In addition to promoting their health and general well-being the Providers need to be committed to ensuring that their foster carers recognise the importance of the educational achievement of Children in Care and work with us in raising their academic attainment.

### Lot Information

Lot TBC

The purpose of this notice is to ensure that IFP's are aware and can prepare for this upcoming opportunity. Independent Fostering Placements It is recognised that a child's needs are best met by a nurturing family, and we are committed to placing children who are not able to remain within their own family in an appropriate alternative family placement wherever possible. There is a commitment to place children and young people with local foster families in order to allow them to maintain contact with families and friends continue at the same school and thrive within their own community. The aims of the service will be to: * Enable access to a wide range of foster care placement types from registered, good quality IFP's * Improve placement stability supported by effective matching * Exhibit strong collaboration and partnership working to ensure the child's needs and outcomes are at the centre of the work * Demonstrate the involvement of the child ensuring their voice is heard and listened to through participation in decision making (where appropriate) * Demonstrate effective and efficient communication to support placement finding * Reduce the need to spot purchase We shall be seeking to commission through a new Framework Agreement fostering placements for children and young people from 0-18 years. Albeit subject to changes and additions, as a minimum we shall require the following placement types: * Long term or permanent placements * Short Term / Task Focused / Bridging placements * Short Break Placements for disabled children * Parent(s) and Child(ren) * Step Down from residential placements * Emergency (same day, out of hours and/or within 24 hours of referral) * Sibling groups * Solo placements (with no other children within the foster household) No action is required at this time and further information regarding this forthcoming procurement will follow in due course.

Lot 1

* Short Term/Task Centred/Bridging, up to 12 months * Long Term or permanent homes (as per the Care/Placement Plan; 12 months and over) * Parent(s) and Child(ren) * Short Break Homes * Children with Disabilities * Solo homes, with no other children/young people within the fostering household. * Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together. * Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child. - Homes for large sibling groups to enable brothers and sisters to live together. - Emergency foster care beds, where foster carers are able to care for children without the usual planning and/or thorough assessment process having taken place because of the need to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.

Lot 2

A small number of our children and young people in care, are placed within a residential children's home due to the complexity of their needs during a specific period in their childhood. For some, past adverse family experiences may lead to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk

Lot 3

We are seeking specialist foster carers, predominantly for adolescents. For some, past adverse family experiences may have led to poor emotional and mental health expressed through depression, self-harming behaviours or separation anxieties and attachment disorders. They are often highly vulnerable young people whose behaviour could be perceived to make them or others more at risk. These young people: * may be stepping down from residential care or * more likely requiring a fostering home at short notice (similar to an Emergency Bed). The foster carers will need to care for a young person with complex needs and potentially a number of risk-taking behaviours which may include violence, absconding, offending and gang association. It is expected that these would be predominately a solo arrangement. The level of complexity and need of these young people are above the thresholds that the Placing Authorities would source as part of an enhanced placement through its IFP Fostering Framework Agreement. It is anticipated that only a very small number of these young people would require this type of fostering home in any given year.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012873-2024 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Framework |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large, SME |
| All stages | Planning, Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 19 Apr 2024 |
| Submission deadline | 23 Feb 2024 |
| Future notice date | 15 Nov 2021 |
| Award date | 31 Mar 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled, Planned |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | KENT COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Additional buyers | MEDWAY COUNCIL |
| Locality | MAIDSTONE |
| Post town | Rochester |
| Postcode | ME14 1XQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ4 Kent |
| ITL 3 | TLJ41 Medway |
| Local authority | Medway |
| Electoral ward | Chatham Central & Brompton |
| Westminster constituency | Rochester and Strood |
| Delivery location | TLJ South East (England), TLJ4 Kent |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 50 |
| Supplier names | ACTIVE CARE SOLUTIONS; ALL4U FOSTERING; ANCHOR FOSTER CARE SERVICES; BANYA FAMILY PLACEMENT; BARNARDO'S; BE MY FAMILY FOSTERING AGENCY; BLUE SKY FOSTERING; BRIGHTER FUTURES FOSTER CARE; BY THE BRIDGE; CALDECOTT FOSTERING; CAPSTONE FOSTER CARE (SOUTH EAST; CARETECH COMMUNITY SERVICES; CHANNELS AND CHOICE; CHRYSALIS CARE; COMPASS FOSTERING SOUTH; DIAGRAMA CHILDREN'S SERVICES; DIVERSE CARE (UK; DIVERSITY FOSTER CARE; ETHELBERT SPECIALIST HOMES; FAMILY FIRST FOSTERING; FAMILY FOSTERING; FIRST STEPS FOSTERING; FIVE RIVERS CHILD CARE; FLOURISH FOSTERING; FOLLOWING WHISPERS FAMILY SERVICE CONSULTANCY; FOSTER CARE ASSOCIATES; FOSTER CARE LINK; FOSTERCARE; FOSTERING HEARTS; FOSTERING TOGETHER; FUSION FOSTERING; GREATER LONDON FOSTERING; HEATH FARM FAMILY SERVICES LIMITED - T/A HEATH FARM; HOMEFINDING AND FOSTERING; INTEGRATED SERVICES PROGRAMME (ISP; KASPER; LIGHTHOUSE FOSTERING; MOSAIC FOSTER CARE; NEXT STEP FOSTERING SERVICES; ORANGE GROVE FOSTERCARE; OUTSET FOSTERING AGENCY; OWNLIFE FOSTERING; PEOPLE WHO FOSTER; SOUTH COAST FOSTERING; SUNBEAM FOSTERING AGENCY; THE ADOLESCENT & CHILDREN’S TRUST; THE NATIONAL FOSTERING AGENCY; UK FOSTERING; XCEL 2000 FOSTERCARE SERVICES; YOUNG PEOPLE AT HEART |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- 85300000 - Social work and related services

## Release History

- 19 Apr 2024 at 15:03 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/012873-2024
- 30 Jan 2024 at 13:53 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003064-2024
- 9 May 2022 at 12:22 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/011977-2022
- 18 Nov 2021 at 11:56 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028793-2021
- 17 Sep 2021 at 14:37 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/023218-2021

## Notice URLs

- http://www.kent.gov.uk
- https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert/Index?advertId=cfd3f5c2-3b36-ec11-810e-005056b64545
- https://www.medway.gov.uk
- https://www.medway.gov.uk/

## 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-h6vhtk-02e225. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-02e225.json.