--- title: "Independent Advocacy Services" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-056566" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056566" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056566.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056566.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL" published: "2025-07-24" --- # Independent Advocacy Services Buyer: WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-056566 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-056566) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056566.json) ## Summary The West Northamptonshire Council is planning to re-procure its Independent Advocacy Services, scheduled to commence on 1st April 2026. This initiative, currently in the planning stage, specifically aims to attract suppliers capable of delivering various independent advocacy services such as Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy and Independent Health Complaints Advocacy. The council's procurement falls under the services category, with a contract value of approximately £4,050,793, and operates under a light-touch regime. Located in Northampton, this procurement offers a range of opportunities, with expressions of interest open until 15th August 2025 to help gauge potential market engagement. This tender provides significant opportunities for businesses specialising in advocacy services tailored to assist individuals with disabilities or mental health needs. Companies offering comprehensive training across various advocacy types and providing seamless support will be particularly well-suited to compete in this process. The tender also encourages market participation by ensuring no advantage or disadvantage during the bidding stage for those responding to the initial market test. Engaging in the tender could enable businesses to align with local government needs while promoting social inclusion and human rights through efficient advocacy services. ## Notice Independent Advocacy means supporting a person to understand information, express their needs and wishes, secure their rights and represent their interests if they might have substantial difficulty doing so themselves. They help individuals understand their options, make informed decisions, and express their wishes, whether it's in relation to care planning, assessments, or challenging decisions. The Service enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people, Carers, those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own wellbeing and social care. Independent advocates help people to access information and services and to explore their options. Advocates deliver services independent of West Northamptonshire Council and on an impartial basis. The independent advocate aims to support people in a direct and empowering way by providing them with the necessary information to make their own informed decision. Advocacy promotes equality, social justice, social inclusion and human rights. The advocacy service in WNC will require advocates to be trained in all the different types of advocacy, to enable a seamless advocacy service and prevent a person having to tell their story repetitively to different advocates, the same advocate should provide support in multiple advocate roles, provided they are trained and qualified to do so. WNC commissions Independent Statutory Advocacy to deliver the following types of advocacy: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and Relevant Person's Paid Representatives (RPPR) Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) Rule 1.2 Representative ### Planning Information West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will shortly be re-procuring their Independent Advocacy Services Contract, with a new Contract due to start on 1st April 2026. Independent Advocacy means supporting a person to understand information, express their needs and wishes, secure their rights and represent their interests if they might have substantial difficulty doing so themselves. They help individuals understand their options, make informed decisions, and express their wishes, whether it's in relation to care planning, assessments, or challenging decisions. The Service enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people, Carers, those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own wellbeing and social care. Independent advocates help people to access information and services and to explore their options. Advocates deliver services independent of West Northamptonshire Council and on an impartial basis. The independent advocate aims to support people in a direct and empowering way by providing them with the necessary information to make their own informed decision. Advocacy promotes equality, social justice, social inclusion and human rights. The advocacy service in WNC will require advocates to be trained in all the different types of advocacy, to enable a seamless advocacy service and prevent a person having to tell their story repetitively to different advocates, the same advocate should provide support in multiple advocate roles, provided they are trained and qualified to do so. WNC commissions Independent Statutory Advocacy to deliver the following types of advocacy: Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), and Relevant Person's Paid Representatives (RPPR) Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) Rule 1.2 Representative At this stage, the Council is testing the market to get an indication of the potential number of providers who are able to deliver this service and may consider bidding when the full tender is published. If your organisation would like to express an interest in this opportunity, please email procurement@westnorthants.gov.uk with the subject line: EOI Independent Advocacy Services FAO Kayley Lakin, and include details of your organisation and why you feel that you have the relevant experience and knowledge to be able to deliver this service. The deadline for expressions of interest is close of business, Friday 15th August 2025. Please note that responding to this soft market test does not in any way give an advantage or disadvantage any Provider during the tender process. Providers who do not respond are also not disadvantaged and are still able to bid at tender stage. This soft market test is for information only to advise the Council of the current market conditions. Responding to this, or any other soft market test does not guarantee any Provider any work with the Council. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042752-2025 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 24 Jul 2025 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Oct 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £4,050,793 | | 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 | WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL | | Locality | NORTHAMPTON | | Post town | Northampton | | Postcode | NN1 1ED | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLF2 Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire | | ITL 3 | TLF24 West Northamptonshire | | Local authority | West Northamptonshire | | Electoral ward | Castle | | Westminster constituency | Northampton North | | Delivery location | TLF24 West Northamptonshire | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85312310 - Guidance services ## Release History - 24 Jul 2025 at 11:59 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042752-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/042752-2025 24th July 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - 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-056566. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-056566.json.