--- title: "Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessments" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Tender" buyer: "ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL" published: "2026-03-12" --- # Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessments Buyer: ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Current stage: Tender OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19.json) ## Summary Essex County Council is currently in the tender stage of the procurement process for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessments. The council, a public authority under sub-central government classification, is seeking professional services in the health and social work sector within the UKH3 region, United Kingdom. As part of this open procedure, businesses should note the significant contract value, estimated at £8,544,000, with the tender period ending on 14 April 2026. The contract is set to commence on 1 July 2026 and will run until 30 June 2028, with potential extensions. The procurement process prioritises a robust technical and commercial response, with quality and price weighted respectively at 30% and 70%. Businesses wishing to participate must ensure electronic submissions in English and adhere to the guidelines provided. This tender represents an excellent opportunity for organisations specialising in health and social care services to expand their business by providing essential assessments under the DoLS framework. Companies with expertise in conducting face-to-face assessments in hospital wards, care homes, and nursing homes will find this procurement process an ideal match for their services. The comprehensive nature of the assessments required, coupled with the large scale of the contract, implies substantial business growth and the potential to establish long-term client relationships with Essex County Council. Providers with robust service mobilisation and resource capacity should consider engaging in this tender for strategic advancement and operational expansion within the public sector. ## Notice The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) provide a legal framework for the deprivation of liberty for people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions about their accommodation and care arrangements themselves. They apply to people who are in hospital or residential/nursing care (the managing authority) and who are subject to restrictions and restraints in their lives, for example, not being free to leave or requiring continual supervision. Local Authorities are required to arrange an assessment of an individual's circumstances to determine whether the accommodation the care provided is in their best interests to protect them from harm, whether it is necessary and proportionate and to determine if there is a less restrictive alternative. The requirement of this service is for the provision of assessments to establish whether a person in hospital, care home or nursing home requires Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisation. Assessors will be required to visit the relevant person requiring assessment in their care setting, which may be a hospital ward, care home or nursing home, in order to conduct a face-to-face assessment. ### Lot Information Lot 1 Renewal: The Council may serve such extension notice(s) on as many occasions as it shall think fit provided that the duration of such extensions shall not in total exceed twenty-four (24) calendar months from the third anniversary of the Service Commencement Date. ### Planning Information Essex County Council would like to invite interested suppliers to partake in an early market engagement survey regarding the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessment Service. We aim to understand: -Supplier preferences for different payment models -Practical considerations, risks, and benefits with each model -Indicative pricing approaches under each model -Mobilisation considerations -Service resource and capacity considerations Please copy the link into your browser to take the survey. https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/procurement/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-dols-assessment This is not a procurement process and does not constitute a commitment to award any contract. The information collected will help inform our future procurement strategy. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022309-2026 | | Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Open procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning, Tender | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 12 Mar 2026 | | Submission deadline | 14 Apr 2026 | | Future notice date | 30 Dec 2025 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 30 Jun 2026 - 30 Jun 2028 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £8,544,000 | | Lots value | £8,544,000 | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Active | | Lots status | Active | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL | | Locality | CHELMSFORD | | Post town | Chelmsford | | Postcode | CM1 1QH | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLH East (England) | | ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex | | ITL 3 | TLH36 Heart of Essex | | Local authority | Chelmsford | | Electoral ward | Moulsham and Central | | Westminster constituency | Chelmsford | | Delivery location | TLH3 Essex | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85000000 - Health and social work services ## Release History - 12 Mar 2026 at 13:11 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022309-2026 - 28 Nov 2025 at 13:55 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078105-2025 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022309-2026 12th March 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/078105-2025 28th November 2025 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/procurement/deprivation-of-liberty-safeguards-dols-assessment - https://procontract.due-north.com/ - 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-05eb19. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05eb19.json.