--- title: "CCS110 Provision of Independent Experts to investigate Statutory Children's Service Complaints" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-078351" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078351" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078351.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078351.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Derbyshire County Council" published: "2026-10-08" --- # CCS110 Provision of Independent Experts to investigate Statutory Children's Service Complaints Buyer: Derbyshire County Council Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-078351 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-078351) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078351.json) ## Summary Derbyshire County Council intends to procure independent experts to support statutory complaints about children’s services under the Children Act 1989. The service covers independent investigating officers and independent persons for Stage 2 complaints, plus independent panel members and chairs for Stage 3 review panels. It is a specialist professional service combining complaints investigation, independent scrutiny and panel-based review. The work is intended to support the Council’s statutory complaints process in England. The planned service is associated with one lot and is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises. The Council is consulting the market to understand suitable delivery models, supplier capability and capacity, service risks, innovation and options for value for money before shaping the future service and procurement documents. This is at planning stage: Derbyshire County Council has set out an intention to procure, but has not yet invited tenders. It expects to publish a further notice by 1 February 2027. The Council’s scheduled pre-market engagement is intended to gather market insight by 3 November 2026; participation is voluntary and non-binding, and responses will not be used in any future evaluation. The procurement is planned as a single lot. Its estimated value is £150,000 excluding VAT (£180,000 including VAT). The planned contract period is 1 September 2027 to 31 August 2029, with an option to extend to 31 August 2031. The Council is seeking views on delivery models, commercial approaches and costs, risks, barriers to participation and ways to support competition, including SME participation. This is likely to suit providers with experienced, independent practitioners able to investigate statutory children’s services complaints and carry out the distinct Stage 2 and Stage 3 roles. Relevant capability includes supplying independent investigating officers and independent persons, as well as panel members and chairs who can support review panels. Suppliers should be prepared to explain their capacity to cover these functions and propose workable service delivery models. The Council is also interested in innovative approaches and technology for case management, reporting and efficient delivery, alongside ways to manage delivery risks and dependencies. Commercial models and cost proposals that demonstrate value for money will inform its planning. The Council is explicitly exploring how to reduce barriers and encourage competition, with the service identified as suitable for SMEs and voluntary, community and social enterprises. ## Notice The provision of independent investigating officers and independent persons for stage 2 complaints, and independent panel members and panel chairs for stage 3 review panels. ### Planning Information The Council is seeking information from the market in relation to the statutory complaints process for children's services in England. This Pre Market Engagement exercise (PME) is intended to gather insights from potential Suppliers to help shape our future service model, inform the development of procurement documentation, and understand market capabilities and deliver value for money. Participation in this process is entirely voluntary and non-binding. Responses will be used for information gathering only and will not form part of any future evaluation process. The Aim of this PME is to explore: • Suitable delivery models for a Children's Act 1989 complaints service. • Market capability, capacity and experience in delivering statutory complaints investigations and Independent Person services. • Innovative approaches and technology that support efficient service delivery, case management and reporting. • Key risks, challenges and dependencies associated with service delivery and how these may be mitigated. • Commercial models, costs and opportunities to achieve value for money. • Potential barriers to market participation and opportunities to encourage competition, including from SMEs. • Market interest in the proposed procurement opportunity. https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=5bee9a01-5bc1-f111-813c-005056b64545 ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095011-2026 | | Notice type | UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice | | Procurement type | Standard | | Procurement category | Services | | Procurement method | Not Specified | | Procurement method details | Not specified | | Tender suitability | SME, VCSE | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 8 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 1 Feb 2027 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 1 Sep 2027 - 1 Sep 2029 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | £150,000 | | 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 | Derbyshire County Council | | Locality | MATLOCK | | Postcode area | Derby | | Postcode | DE4 3AG | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLF East Midlands (England) | | ITL 2 | TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | | ITL 3 | TLF13 South and West Derbyshire | | Local authority | Derbyshire Dales | | Electoral ward | Matlock West | | Westminster constituency | Derbyshire Dales | | Delivery location | TLF1 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security - 98 - Other community, social and personal services ### Codes - 79410000 - Business and management consultancy services - 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services ## Release History - 8 Oct 2026 at 09:16 - Planning - UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095011-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/095011-2026 8th October 2026 - Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=5bee9a01-5bc1-f111-813c-005056b64545 - https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/home.aspx - 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-078351. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-078351.json.