---
title: "Independent Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Services"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL"
published: "2026-01-05"
---

# Independent Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Services

Buyer: HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b

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## Summary

Hartlepool Borough Council has awarded a contract for "Independent Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Services" to Chapel Mediation. The contract, valued at a gross amount of £36,000, was signed on 30th June 2025 and will be active from 1st July 2025 until 30th June 2028. This procurement process, categorized under social work services, is directed towards providing mediation services as required under the SEND code of Practice 2015 for young people in Hartlepool. The procurement was conducted using a direct method without competition due to limited available providers in the market, notably falling below the threshold for competitive tender processes.

This contract presents opportunities for businesses specializing in mediation services, especially those catering to educational and social work sectors. Given the nature of the direct procurement method and the niche service requirement, businesses with relevant expertise and a track record in handling sensitive mediation cases can potentially engage in such contracts in the future. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) like Chapel Mediation, which have positioned themselves as key providers in the region, demonstrate the viability of specialised service offerings in fulfilling statutory requirements. Companies with capabilities in managing educational disputes and providing mediation services can benefit from similar opportunities as regulatory frameworks continue to necessitate expert intervention in compliance with government mandates.

## Notice

Contract for the independent mediation and disagreement resolution services to parents/carers of young people who originate or live in Hartlepool and are either involved in an assessment of needs, have been refused as assessment or are dissatisfied with something within their education, health and care plan (EHCP) following a review. To enable them to take the matter to tribunal, they must first undertake some form of mediation which is a statutory requirement under the SEND code of Practice 2015. Due to significant changes in the Mediation arena, Chapel are the only remaining provider in this area willing to offer this service (one supplier withdrew in Jul 2022 and previous providers in the years prior). To ensure we fulfil our contractual obligations we need to ensure we maintain their services on an ongoing basis, the costs for full cases are between PS250-PS350, however most only require a certificate at a cost of PS50 per case, so its difficult to calculate exact expenditure due to fluctuating take up of the service. In view of the above this contract falls outside of HBCs Contract Procedure Rules

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000314-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Jan 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Jun 2025 |
| Contract period | 30 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £30,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL |
| Locality | HARTLEPOOL |
| Post town | Cleveland |
| Postcode | TS24 8AY |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC31 Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees |
| Local authority | Hartlepool |
| Electoral ward | Victoria |
| Westminster constituency | Hartlepool |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CHAPEL MEDIATION |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85310000 - Social work services

## Release History

- 5 Jan 2026 at 13:34 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000314-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/000314-2026
  5th January 2026 - Contract details 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-05ff5b. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-05ff5b.json.