---
title: "Urgent and Specialist Support for Children and Young People"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-066736"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-066736"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066736.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066736.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL"
published: "2026-05-20"
---

# Urgent and Specialist Support for Children and Young People

Buyer: WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-066736

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[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066736.json)

## Summary

The procurement process for "Urgent and Specialist Support for Children and Young People" was initiated by West Sussex County Council, with a focus on providing rapid-response staffing for children with complex needs in areas UKJ27 and UKJ28. Categorised under Health and Social Work Services, the process used a direct award procurement method, reflecting the need for urgency and specialised support. The procurement stage involved awards and contracts with a starting date of 1st June 2026, running until 30th September 2027, with potential extension until March 2028. Notable dates include the award notice publication on 20th May 2026 and scheduled contract signings on 30th and 31st May 2026.

This tender presents significant opportunities for SMEs involved in health and social care services, particularly those capable of providing urgent staffing solutions. The focus on rapid-response services for young people with behavioural or mental health challenges suits firms that specialise in high-demand and complex care environments. Businesses such as AG FAMILY SUPPORT LTD., AIRMID STAFFING LTD, and ANZUK EDUCATION LTD, which are awarded or involved, highlight the participation of SMEs, illustrating that businesses of similar size and capability are well-positioned to compete and thrive within this procurement framework, fostering growth and expansion opportunities.

## Notice

Urgent and Specialist Support Services provide rapid-response staffing for children and young people with complex behavioural, medical, or mental health needs, helping stabilise placements and prevent escalation to secure or inpatient settings.

### Procurement Information

This justifications apply because: * This is a statutory and essential service; the Council must place Children and Young People requiring urgent and specialist support regardless of cost. * Extreme urgency results from the Framework's expiry and the extension unpredictably being non-compliant. This is combined with a continuing number of high risk and complex placements. * This event was unforeseen and occurred without prior warning, leaving the Council insufficient time to conduct a compliant competitive procedure. The situation is unavoidable and demands immediate action to prevent serious harm to Children and Young People who the Council have a statutory responsibility to provide these services for.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045970-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | SME, VCSE |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Planning, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 20 May 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | 16 Mar 2026 |
| Award date | 27 Mar 2026 |
| Contract period | 2 Jun 2026 - 30 Sep 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £11,000,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £13,240,000 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active, Pending |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | WEST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL |
| Locality | CHICHESTER |
| Post town | Portsmouth |
| Postcode | PO19 1RQ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLJ South East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLJ2 Surrey, East and West Sussex |
| ITL 3 | TLJ27 West Sussex (South West) |
| Local authority | Chichester |
| Electoral ward | Chichester Central |
| Westminster constituency | Chichester |
| Delivery location | TLJ27 West Sussex (South West), TLJ28 West Sussex (North East) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 8 |
| Supplier names | AG FAMILY SUPPORT; AIRMID STAFFING; ANZUK EDUCATION; BESPOKE GUARDIANS; BLUELIGHT HEALTHCARE RECRUITMENT; CARE FIRST 24; NURSING DIRECT HEALTHCARE; VERVE HOMECARE SUSSEX |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 20 May 2026 at 06:49 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045970-2026
- 27 Mar 2026 at 12:03 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028459-2026
- 11 Mar 2026 at 12:56 - Planning - UK1 - Pipeline Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021750-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/045970-2026
  20th May 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028459-2026
  27th March 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021750-2026
  11th March 2026 - Pipeline notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.airmidstaffing.co.uk
- http://www.anzuk.education/uk/
- http://www.bespokeguardians.co.uk
- http://www.bluelighthealthcare.com
- http://www.carefirst24.co.uk
- http://www.verve-homecare.co.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- https://www.nursingdirect.co.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-066736. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-066736.json.