---
title: "East Midlands Children's Improvement Adviser (CIA) with notice"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-07811e"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-07811e"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07811e.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07811e.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)"
published: "2026-10-05"
---

# East Midlands Children's Improvement Adviser (CIA) with notice

Buyer: Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-07811e

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## Summary

The Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA), working through the Local Government Association’s children’s services leadership programme, is commissioning an East Midlands Children’s Improvement Adviser. The adviser will support councils and their corporate and political leaders, particularly in children’s social care and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The role includes building relationships with councils and regional improvement and innovation alliances, understanding service needs, helping develop and deliver improvement strategies, and providing constructive challenge. The adviser will identify and support councils at risk of failure, coordinate with other improvement advisers, help commission additional expertise and share good practice. The work is a combination of children’s services improvement advice and consultancy, delivered for councils in the East Midlands.

The buyer invited offers through a below-threshold open competition. The tender set an enquiry deadline of 15 October 2026 at 16:00 UTC and a bid deadline of 19 October 2026 at 16:00 UTC. The services are scheduled to run from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, with an option to extend for up to one year. The fixed daily rate is £700 excluding VAT, with reasonable travel and accommodation expenses reimbursed under LGA policy. Up to 60 days per year, pro rata, are available through the scheduled completion date; the stated maximum contract value is £42,000 excluding VAT, pro rata. There is one lot. Evaluation covers capability, relevant skills and experience, regional relationships, working in a political environment and approach to delivery.

This opportunity is aimed at an experienced children’s services leader who can advise councils on service improvement and work credibly with senior officers and elected leaders. Recent experience as a statutory Director of Children’s Services is required. Strong regional relationships are central: the adviser must build trust with councils and corporate and political leaders, and work with regional improvement and innovation alliances. Suppliers should be able to assess children’s services needs, develop practical improvement strategies, offer constructive challenge, support councils at risk of failure and coordinate specialist capacity. Experience spanning children’s social care and SEND, political environments, commissioning expertise and sharing effective practice will align with the stated requirements. The work is a single-adviser regional engagement with a capped allocation of working days, suiting an individual consultant or a supplier able to provide the required senior-level expertise.

## Notice

The LGA delivers a programme of children's services leadership support to councils and corporate and political leaders. To support delivery of the LGA's programme of children's services leadership support to councils and corporate or political leaders through provision of associate support to councils, specifically (but not exclusively) in children's social care and SEND. Bidders must have had recent experience as a statutory Director of Children's Services The East Midlands regional Children's Improvement Adviser will be required to: Work closely with the LGA children's improvement advisors who focus on SEND and corporate leadership to ensure a coherent offer of support. Build a wider understanding of the LGAs improvement support to ensure a coherent and co-ordinated offer to councils. Develop strong relationships with councils and corporate and political leaders in a region to build a clear understanding of need in children's services, to support leadership, identify innovative solutions, broker improvement strategies, and ensure they are delivered. Build a direct relationship with the regional improvement and innovation alliances (RIIAs) in terms of strategic planning, intervention and resources, and to provide support and challenge to the delivery of regional plans. Provide constructive challenge to local and regional approaches and priorities. Identify and support councils at risk of failure. Work with the LGA's children's improvement team to commission additional capacity and expertise to improve services for children. Ensure best practice and learning is shared. (Greater detail of the Services are set out in attached draft contract in Appendix 2). Contract dates: The date for commencement of the Services is: November 2026 The date for completion of the Services is: 31 March 2027, with the option to review and extend for an additional 1 year Price payable: This Purchaser will pay a daily rate of PS700 excluding VAT, which is fixed. Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will also be paid in line with LGA policies. Up to 60 days per year (pro rata) will be allocated up to the completion date of 31 March 2027. This represents a maximum annual contract value of PS42,000 (exclusive of VAT), pro rata. To apply: To submit a bid please find link below to the LGA procurement platform, you will need to register an account first (see bottom link 'Register'). With any navigational or uploading issues please contact the platform's help team Email: support@panacea-software.com Telephone: 0207 976 0116.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Renewal: Contract may be extended at Purchaser's discretion for up to 1 year

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093995-2026 |
| Notice type | UK4 - Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - open competition |
| Tender suitability | SME |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Oct 2026 |
| Submission deadline | 19 Oct 2026 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 2 Nov 2026 - 31 Mar 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £42,000 |
| Lots value | £42,000 |
| 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 | Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA) |
| Locality | LONDON |
| Postcode area | South West London |
| Postcode | SW1P 3HZ |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLI London |
| ITL 2 | TLI3 Inner London - West |
| ITL 3 | TLI35 Westminster and City of London |
| Local authority | Westminster |
| Electoral ward | St James's |
| Westminster constituency | Cities of London and Westminster |
| Delivery location | TLF East Midlands (England) |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services
- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 73200000 - Research and development consultancy services
- 85321000 - Administrative social services

## Release History

- 5 Oct 2026 at 16:47 - TenderUpdate - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093995-2026
- 5 Oct 2026 at 16:44 - Tender - UK4 - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093993-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093995-2026
  5th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender
- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/093993-2026
  5th October 2026 - Tender notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- https://app.panacea-software.com/LGA-Sourcing/eRFX-Suppliers/OpenReq.aspx?requirementId=45fb0a91-f9fa-4c6a-99c1-34afb8f7d7ac
- 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-07811e. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-07811e.json.