---
title: "Independent Regulation 44 Visitor Service for Small Group Homes CAFS/2026/313"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Stoke-on-Trent City Council"
published: "2026-09-22"
---

# Independent Regulation 44 Visitor Service for Small Group Homes CAFS/2026/313

Buyer: Stoke-on-Trent City Council  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca

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## Summary

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is procuring an independent Regulation 44 visitor service for its children’s small group homes in Stoke-on-Trent. The service must provide monthly independent visits to each home, in line with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. Visitors will carry out independent scrutiny and provide assurance and reporting on the quality, safety and welfare of children and young people living in residential care. This is a children’s social care service, classified under health and social work services. The requirement is for a provider that is separate from the homes and from the wider local authority, so it can offer objective oversight of residential care arrangements across the city.

The procurement reached tender: the council invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. It comprises one lot. The deadline for enquiries was 9 October 2026 at 12:00, and the deadline for offers was 9 October 2026 at 20:00. The contract period is 2 November 2026 to 31 October 2028, with a possible renewal at the local authority’s discretion until 31 October 2029. The estimated value is £195,000 excluding VAT, or £234,000 including VAT. Evaluation is weighted 80% technical quality and 20% price. Offers may be submitted electronically.

This opportunity suits providers with qualified and experienced personnel able to act as independent Regulation 44 visitors for children’s residential care. Competitors need to understand the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and be able to conduct structured monthly visits that produce objective scrutiny, assurance and reporting. The work requires independence from both the children’s homes and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, together with the professional judgement to assess issues affecting quality, safety and children’s welfare. It is suited to organisations with sufficient capacity to maintain a regular visiting and reporting service across the council’s small group homes, and to demonstrate strong technical quality, which carries the greater evaluation weighting.

## Notice

Under Regulation 44 of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, all children's homes must receive an independent monthly visit carried out by a person not directly employed by the home or the wider local authority. Stoke on Trent City Council is seeking suitably qualified and experienced providers to deliver an Independent Regulation 44 Visitor Service for Children's Small Group Homes located within the city. The service is required to undertake monthly Regulation 44 visits in accordance with the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015, providing independent scrutiny, assurance and reporting to support the quality, safety and welfare of children and young people living in residential care.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: At the discretion of the local authority

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089755-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 22 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 2 Nov 2026 - 31 Oct 2028 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £195,000 |
| Lots value | £195,000 |
| 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 | Stoke-on-Trent City Council |
| Locality | STOKE-ON-TRENT |
| Postcode area | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Postcode | ST4 1HH |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG2 Shropshire and Staffordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLG23 Stoke-on-Trent |
| Local authority | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Electoral ward | Hartshill Park & Stoke |
| Westminster constituency | Stoke-on-Trent Central |
| Delivery location | TLG23 Stoke-on-Trent |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85000000 - Health and social work services

## Release History

- 22 Sep 2026 at 15:30 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089755-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/089755-2026
  22nd September 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://procontract.due-north.com/Procurer/Advert/View?advertId=851d694a-5733-f111-813c-005056b64545&fromAdvertEvent=True
- 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-0777ca. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0777ca.json.