---
title: "Dorset Keyworker Service (BCP Place)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board"
published: "2026-08-11"
---

# Dorset Keyworker Service (BCP Place)

Buyer: NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0

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## Summary

NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board is procuring a sole-provider health service for children and young people aged 0 to 25 in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. The Dorset Keyworker Service will support people diagnosed with a learning disability and/or autism who are inpatients in a mental health hospital, at risk of admission, or in an acute hospital because of a mental health crisis. It will provide a consistent contact for individuals and families, help prevent crises and avoidable inpatient or restrictive care, provide information, advice and signposting, advocate for individuals, and secure reasonable adjustments. Delivery will take place across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area, in communities, homes, schools and workplaces. The relevant category is health services (CPV 85100000).

The process has reached tender: NHS Dorset invited offers through an open procedure under the Provider Selection Regime for health care services. Bids must be submitted by 10 September 2026 at 5:00pm, in English, electronically or in writing; the bid must remain valid for 180 days. The contract is due to run from 1 February 2027 to 31 March 2028, for an initial value of £268,333, with a 12-month extension option from 1 April 2028 at £230,000 per annum. One sole supplier will be selected. Evaluation is based on quality and innovation at 83%, social value at 10% and price at 7%. Key participation requirements are pass/fail, and the governance assurance questionnaire must be completed. The highest-scoring compliant offer will be awarded the contract.

This opportunity suits organisations experienced in delivering community-based support for children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism, particularly where mental health crisis prevention, hospital discharge or admission avoidance is involved. Providers should be able to work across homes, schools, workplaces and community settings, coordinate with health and other services, support families, provide advocacy and make reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities. Strong service quality, innovation and social-value delivery will be more important to the evaluation than price. Bidders must satisfy the key participation requirements, complete the Supplier Governance Assurance Questionnaire and submit the required supplier response and conflict-of-interest documentation. The service requires a sole provider with the capacity to offer a consistent point of contact across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area.

## Notice

NHS Dorset is seeking a sole Supplier to deliver the Dorset Keyworker Service in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Place area. The KeyWorker Service is a targeted offer that will be provided to children and young people who have been diagnosed with a learning disability and/or who have autism, who are inpatients in, or at risk of being admitted to a mental health hospital to support them and their family in navigating services and reduce the risk of admission to a mental health unit. 

The expected service commencement date is 01 February 2027 for an initial term of 14 months with an extension option of 12 months. Value of initial tern PS268,333 (PS230,000 per annum)

### Lot Information

Lot 1

NHS Dorset is seeking a sole Supplier to deliver the Dorset Keyworker Service in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Place area. 
The service is for children and young people (CYP) who are:
* Aged 0-25
* Are registered with a Dorset GP or fall under the commissioning responsibility of NHS Dorset
* Live in the BCP Place (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council) area
* Diagnosed with a Learning Disability and/or Autism.
AND
* Rated red or amber as being at risk of hospital admission on the Dynamic Support Register (DSR) OR;
* An inpatient in mental health hospital
* A person in an acute hospital due to a mental health crisis
A population overview is included in Document 4- Specification Requirements Document BCP Keyworker

The service aims will be to:
* Prevent crisis, thus reducing demand on specialist services
* Reduce avoidable in-patient care or use of other restrictive approaches and settings
* Be a consistent point of contact for the individual and their family
* Ensure reasonable adjustments are made by services to enable neurodiverse individuals and those with a learning disability to access the support they require
* Provide signposting, information, and advice
* Advocate for the individual and ensure their voice is heard

The Service will be available across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area. The interventions are to be delivered out and about within the communities in which CYP and their families; live, go to school and/or work and will include in their homes.

The expected service commencement date is 01 February 2027 for an initial term of 14 months with an extension option of 12 months. Value of initial tern PS268,333 (PS230,000 per annum)

Renewal: Extension option of 12 months from 01/04/2028 (PS230,000 per annum)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076047-2026 |
| Notice type | 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 | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 11 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 10 Sep 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Feb 2027 - 31 Mar 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £268,333 |
| Lots value | £268,333 |
| 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 | NHS Dorset Integrated Care Board |
| Locality | DORCHESTER |
| Postcode area | Dorchester |
| Postcode | DT1 1TG |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset |
| ITL 3 | TLK64 Dorset |
| Local authority | Dorset |
| Electoral ward | Dorchester West |
| Westminster constituency | West Dorset |
| Delivery location | TLK2 Dorset and Somerset |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 11 Aug 2026 at 09:49 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/076047-2026

## Notice URLs

- https://atamis-1928.my.site.com/s/Welcome
- https://health-family.force.com/s/Welcome
- https://www.customer.careteam@nhsdorset.nhs.uk
- https://www.england.nhs.uk/
- https://www.nhsdorset.nhs.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-06e0e0. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06e0e0.json.
