--- title: "Proposed Short Breaks Framework for Children with Disabilities (2026-2029)" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06b836" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b836" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b836.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b836.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "SOMERSET COUNCIL" published: "2026-06-18" --- # Proposed Short Breaks Framework for Children with Disabilities (2026-2029) Buyer: SOMERSET COUNCIL Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06b836 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06b836) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b836.json) ## Summary Somerset Council is currently conducting a market engagement process aiming to establish a multi-year, multi-lot framework for Short Breaks for Children with Disabilities, scheduled from 2026 to 2029, with potential extensions. This planning stage forms part of the Council’s commitment to enhancing service delivery across its predominantly rural geography, ensuring equitable access for all children regardless of location or level of need. Located in Taunton, Somerset Council seeks expressions of interest from potential providers by the deadline of 10th July 2026, focusing on health and social work services. This procurement initiative is part of a light touch regime, above threshold, and is intended to ascertain market capacity and stimulate collaboration for rolling out diverse service options ranging from community-based activities to emergency and overnight care. This framework presents considerable opportunities for businesses looking to grow, especially those experienced in delivering health and social work services, and keen to partner with local authorities. It encourages small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to tender, creating openings for innovative solutions that enhance the wellbeing of children and provide respite for families. Ideal candidates will be organisations with robust service delivery models, ready to adapt their approach to a variety of settings within Somerset. There is a particular emphasis on ensuring flexibility, safeguarding standards, and inclusive support, aligning with the Council’s objectives of supporting families, promoting child independence, and optimizing care delivery through innovative practices. ## Notice This request for expressions of interest is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market engagement and does not constitute any commitment by the Authority to undertake any procurement exercise in the future. This exercise includes no element of supplier evaluation. No parties will be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this by the deadline, there is no commitment of any kind involved on either side. This request does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services, and the Authority is not bound by any proposal offered. If you are interested in this potential opportunity, then please express an interest by 10.07.2026 at 12:00pm by email to: jesse.eveleigh@somerset.gov.uk ### Planning Information This is not a call for competition and is not yet a contract opportunity. Background Somerset Council is seeking to engage with the market to understand provider capacity, capability, and interest in delivering a multi-year/multi-lot Framework for Short Breaks for Children and Young People with Disabilities. Short breaks are a statutory service that provide planned, time-limited support for disabled children and young people while offering essential respite to families and carers. The Council is committed to developing a diverse, flexible, and sustainable market that delivers high-quality, inclusive services across Somerset, supporting: • Children to access enjoyable, meaningful experiences • Families to maintain resilience and wellbeing • Reduction in crisis interventions and family breakdown The Framework will support delivery across a predominantly rural geography, ensuring equitable access regardless of location or level of need. Service Overview The proposed Framework will commission providers across a range of Short Break service types (Lots), including: • Lot 1: Community-based daytime short breaks • Lot 2: Evening and weekend activities • Lot 3: Overnight short breaks (residential and foster care) • Lot 4: Domiciliary care (in-home support) • Lot 5: Holiday schemes • Lot 6: Emergency / unplanned short breaks Services will aim to: • Promote independence, wellbeing, and social inclusion • Provide safe, stimulating, and inclusive environments • Offer flexible, needs-led support tailored to children's needs • Deliver consistent, high-quality care across all settings The Framework is expected to operate as a multi-lot, open framework, enabling providers to join over time and respond to evolving need. Key Objectives The Council is seeking a model that: • Ensures high-quality, safe, and inclusive short break provision • Provides choice and flexibility for families and carers • Supports equitable access across Somerset, including rural areas • Enables early intervention and prevention of crisis • Delivers value for money with sustainable provider rates • Encourages innovation and co-production with families Delivery Expectations Providers are asked to consider how they would deliver the following: 1. Service Delivery Model • Which Lots you would be interested in delivering • How your model supports different levels of disability need • Approaches to delivery across a rural geography • Group vs 1:1 provision models 2. Workforce • Staffing structure across service types • Recruitment, retention, and training approaches • Experience supporting children with disabilities and complex needs • Ability to meet required staffing ratios and specialist needs 3. Safeguarding & Quality • Safeguarding policies and governance • Incident management and reporting processes • Quality assurance, inspection ratings (Ofsted/CQC where applicable) • Ensuring compliance with statutory requirements 4. Accessibility & Inclusion • How services are accessible and inclusive (e.g. communication needs, cultural needs, sensory needs) • Ability to support a wide range of disabilities and complex needs • Reasonable adjustments and personalised care approaches 5. Partnership Working • Working with Somerset Council and Children with Disabilities Service • Engagement with families, carers, and co-production approaches • Collaboration with education, health, and community services 6. Mobilisation & Capacity • Capacity to deliver services across Somerset • Timescales for mobilisation • Ability to scale provision up/down in response to demand Service Models Under Consideration The Council is interested in feedback on the feasibility of different delivery approaches: Full Framework Delivery • Providers delivering multiple Lots across the Framework • Comprehensive, multi-service offer Specialist / Lot-Based Delivery • Providers focusing on specific Lots (e.g. overnight or emergency provision) Flexible & Innovative Models • Hybrid group/1:1 provision • Community partnerships • Digital tools for scheduling/engagement • New models of respite or outreach support Procurement Context The Council is proposing: • A multi-year open framework (2026-2029) with extension options • Providers able to join the framework over time • Call-off via mini-competition or direct award, depending on need Indicative Cost Parameters The Council is seeking market feedback on the deliverability of services within indicative rate ceilings: Lot Service Type Indicative Rate Lot 1 Community-based Daytime ~£22/hour Lot 2 Evening/Weekend ~£24/hour Lot 3a Residential Overnight ~£350/night Lot 3b Foster Overnight ~£120/night Lot 4 Domiciliary Care ~£26/hour Lot 5 Holiday Schemes ~£22/hour Lot 6 Emergency Provision ~£30/hour+ Providers are encouraged to propose: • Sustainable pricing models • Innovative and cost-effective approaches • Any pressures or risks affecting viability Market Engagement Purpose This engagement is intended to: • Assess market capacity, capability, and appetite • Inform final service specification and lot design • Test pricing assumptions and affordability • Shape the procurement approach and timelines • Identify innovation and partnership opportunities Anticipated Timeline • Market engagement: Summer 2026 • Procurement launch: Late 2026 • Framework award: Early 2027 • Service commencement: 2027 If you would like to express an interest in this opportunity, please respond to the following questions by emailing: jesse.eveleigh@somerset.gov.uk Deadline for responding: 10.07.2026 - Thank you. Preliminary market engagement questions: 1. Please outline which Lots you would be interested in delivering and your experience in providing similar short break services. 2. Please describe your proposed delivery model(s), including how and where you would operate across Somerset (please include specific locations you can cover e.g. Taunton where required, or just state general areas e.g. Mendip, South Somerset) 3. Please set out your staffing model, including recruitment, training, supervision, and experience supporting children with disabilities and complex needs. 4. Please outline your safeguarding, quality assurance, and compliance arrangements, including inspection ratings where applicable. 5. Please describe how you ensure accessibility, inclusion, and personalised support for a wide range of needs. 6. Please outline your capacity and ability to mobilise services within required timescales. 7. Please provide indicative pricing for your proposed services and key cost drivers. 8. Please identify any risks, constraints, or dependencies associated with delivering these services and how they could be mitigated. 9. Please set out any innovative or alternative delivery models that could improve outcomes or value for money. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057625-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | 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 | 18 Jun 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 10 Jul 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 31 Mar 2027 - 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 - 18 Jun 2026 at 13:27 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057625-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057625-2026 18th June 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.somerset.gov.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-06b836. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06b836.json.