---
title: "Social Care Provision in Prisons"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "City of Doncaster Council"
published: "2026-08-26"
---

# Social Care Provision in Prisons

Buyer: City of Doncaster Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7

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## Summary

City of Doncaster Council is procuring prison-based social care services for people in the Doncaster prison setting. The requirement covers statutory social care provision in a secure custodial environment, including coordination with prison management, healthcare professionals and wider support agencies. Providers must operate within prison security, safeguarding, information governance, access-control and established operational requirements. The service also requires integrated care pathways and close working with prison healthcare arrangements. The procurement is for services in Doncaster prisons and sits within the health and social work services category, including CPV 85000000. The council is responsible for ensuring continuity of social care for vulnerable people in the prison population, alongside associated healthcare provision and operational governance.

The procurement is complete and was awarded directly under Schedule 5, paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023, on the basis that only one supplier could provide the service for technical reasons. Practice Plus Group Health and Rehabilitation Services Limited was awarded the contract on 25 August 2026. The award value is £519,278.88 excluding VAT, or £623,132.25 including VAT. The contract runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2031, with a council option to extend it by up to two years, giving a maximum end date of 31 March 2033. The value covers core services and excludes potential case-by-case night care costs, which may increase the value if assessed needs require it. There is one completed lot.

This award shows that Doncaster Council needs a specialist provider able to deliver social care inside prisons and integrate it with prison healthcare. A credible future competitor would need secure-environment operating experience, established prison access arrangements, security-cleared staff and robust safeguarding procedures. It would also need effective information-sharing protocols, governance arrangements and care pathways linking social care, healthcare, prison management and external support agencies. The council’s stated rationale indicates that mobilisation, continuity and operational integration are decisive considerations, so evidence of reliable delivery in complex, highly regulated custodial settings would be important. Providers should also be able to manage fluctuating demand, individual care assessments and possible night-care requirements, while adapting staffing and service volumes without compromising safety or statutory responsibilities.

## Notice

City of Doncaster Council (CDC) has statutory responsibility for the provision of social care services within the prison setting. CDC was not involved in NHS England's procurement process for services commencing on 1 September 2026 and therefore had no input into the social care requirements or associated costs. Whilst the healthcare contract was awarded to PPG, no social care provision was included within the new NHS England arrangements. The delivery of social care services within a prison environment requires specialist expertise and the ability to operate within a complex and highly regulated secure setting. Providers must work closely with prison management, healthcare professionals and wider support agencies, whilst complying with prison security requirements, safeguarding arrangements, information governance protocols, access controls and established operational procedures. As the current provider of both healthcare and social care services within Doncaster prisons, PPG has established relationships, operational processes, governance arrangements, security-cleared staff and integrated care pathways already in place. Continuity of provision through PPG will minimise mobilisation risk, support effective partnership working and ensure the ongoing delivery of safe and effective services to vulnerable individuals within the prison population.

### Procurement Information

The contract is being awarded directly under Schedule 5, Paragraph 6 of the Procurement Act 2023. The service relates to the Council's statutory responsibility to provide social care services within a secure custodial environment. Delivery requires established prison access arrangements, security clearance processes, safeguarding procedures, information sharing protocols, integrated care pathways and close operational integration with prison healthcare services. Practice Plus Group has been appointed as the prison healthcare provider from 1 September 2026 and operates the associated governance, clinical and operational arrangements within the prison setting. The Council considers that effective delivery of prison social care services is dependent upon integration with these existing arrangements. An alternative provider would require the establishment of new operational, governance and access arrangements within a secure environment, creating significant mobilisation, service continuity, safeguarding and operational risks. Accordingly, the Council is satisfied that, due to an absence of competition for technical reasons, only Practice Plus Group can provide the required services and that there are no reasonable alternatives

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081458-2026 |
| Notice type | UK6 - Contract Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Direct award |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Contract period | 1 Sep 2026 - 31 Mar 2031 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | £519,278 |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | City of Doncaster Council |
| Locality | DONCASTER |
| Postcode area | Doncaster |
| Postcode | DN1 3BU |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber |
| ITL 2 | TLE3 South Yorkshire |
| ITL 3 | TLE35 Doncaster |
| Local authority | Doncaster |
| Electoral ward | Town |
| Westminster constituency | Doncaster Central |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | PRACTICE PLUS GROUP HEALTH AND REHABILITATION SERVICES LIMITED |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 26 Aug 2026 at 15:39 - Award - UK6 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081458-2026
- 26 Aug 2026 at 15:27 - Award - UK5 - Transparency Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081446-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081458-2026
  26th August 2026 - Contract award notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/081446-2026
  26th August 2026 - Transparency notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.practiceplusgroup.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-06ece7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06ece7.json.