--- title: "Keeping children close - Residential partnership to deliver homes for children and young people in Somerset" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "SOMERSET COUNCIL" published: "2025-07-10" --- # Keeping children close - Residential partnership to deliver homes for children and young people in Somerset Buyer: SOMERSET COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c.json) ## Summary Somerset Council is currently in the planning stage for a tender titled "Keeping children close - Residential partnership to deliver homes for children and young people in Somerset." This tender falls under the health and social work services category and aims to establish a network of residential homes in the UKK23 region of the United Kingdom. The council organised a market engagement workshop on 29th May 2025 to discuss their vision and requirements, with further opportunities for one-on-one discussions available until 31st August 2025. This initiative offers a chance for providers to collaborate and support the council's objectives and plans, with contracts expected to commence on 1st April 2026 and last until 31st March 2031, with possible renewals extending to 2036. This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses involved in providing residential care services for children and young people. By fostering long-term partnerships, Somerset Council offers a steady income stream that allows businesses to better plan financially and operationally. The focus on creating stable, efficient, and child-focused care services presents avenues for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to leverage their expertise and contribute to better outcomes for children in care. Providers who are adept at communicating and collaborating with other service providers can benefit from improved occupancy rates and service efficiency, securing a mutually beneficial arrangement that enhances business growth and stability. ## Notice Somerset Council require a range of residential homes to meet the needs of our children and young people in care. By working closely together, the council and residential home providers can create a more efficient, stable, and child-focused care system through mutually beneficial contracting arrangements. Our aims are to: o Ensure availability: Guarantee that a certain number of beds are always available for Somerset children in Somerset homes. o Stabilise costs: Provide predictable funding for both the commissioner and provider, which can lead to better financial planning and resource allocation. o Improve outcomes: Foster a collaborative relationship focused on the best interests of the children. o Reduce the need for spot purchasing, which can be more expensive and less predictable. o Better plan for future needs and ensures a stable supply of homes for children in Somerset o Offer providers a steady income stream, allowing for better financial and operational planning. o Work closely with providers to maximise occupancy rates which can ultimately improve service quality and efficiency and encourage provider to provider relationships o Improve communication: Establish strong communication channels to address issues promptly, address any early concerns about the stability of the placement and adapt to changing needs. o Share the risk - involve both parties in decisions about placements, care plans, and service improvements. This workshop with residential providers is the opportunity to discuss mutually beneficial arrangements so we can secure and support our smaller providers. We value your expertise and look forward to learning and sharing best practices together. ### Planning Information An engagement event was held on 29.05.2025 which was a workshop session to discuss the authorities requirements and vision for the service with interested providers. However, there is also the ongoing opportunity for providers to have an individual discussion with commissioners in order to discuss the requirements or make contact with the council to receive the information from the workshop (PowerPoint presentation). If you would like further information or would like to arrange a time for a discussion with commissioners, please contact stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038787-2025 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 10 Jul 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 31 Aug 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2031 | | 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 | Planning | | Lots status | Planning | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | SOMERSET COUNCIL | | Locality | TAUNTON | | Post town | Taunton | | Postcode | TA1 4DY | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) | | ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset | | ITL 3 | TLK62 Somerset | | Local authority | Somerset | | Electoral ward | Bishop's Hull & Taunton West | | Westminster constituency | Taunton and Wellington | | Delivery location | TLK23 Somerset CC | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 10 Jul 2025 at 07:54 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038787-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038787-2025 10th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - http://www.somerset.gov.uk - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents ## 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-055c7c. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-055c7c.json.