Probation services

Description

The Ministry of Justice (the ‘Authority’) conducts this procurement under the ‘Light Touch Regime’. The Authority seeks to establish a probation services dynamic framework (‘DF’) to purchase services to deliver rehabilitation and resettlement interventions. The DF contains 14 ‘Service Categories’ based on service user needs, cohorts and restorative justice. Interventions will be delivered via call-off contracts let by the Authority and other public sector commissioners (‘Participating Bodies’) at different geographical levels in England and Wales. Suppliers can qualify onto the DF throughout its term. The number of suppliers that can be appointed to the DF is unlimited. Interventions should build skills; respond to individual needs; secure clear outcomes and fulfil the objectives of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012. Call-Off Contract lengths will be proportionate to the services being delivered. The DF will be established to allow the Authority and Participating Bodies to purchase services to deliver rehabilitative and resettlement Interventions. Bidders must pass the selection questionnaire (SQ) to sign the framework agreement and be appointed to the DF. Once appointed, they will be invited to call-off competitions where they are qualified in the relevant service categories and have indicated they would be able to deliver services in the relevant geographical locations. Over the DF term, the Authority and Participating Bodies can commission or co-commission services which meet the specific and emerging needs within their locality and for service users not directly under probation supervision. Interventions fall under fourteen (14) DF Service Categories: (a) accommodation (b) education, training and employment (‘ETE’) (c) finance, benefits and debt (‘FBD’) (d) dependency and recovery (e) family and significant others (f) lifestyle and associates (g) emotional wellbeing (h) social inclusion (i) women (this is a ‘cohort’ service category) (j) young adults (18-25 years old) (this is a ‘cohort’ service category) (k) black, asian, minority ethnic (this is a ‘cohort’ service category) (l) restorative justice (m) cognitive and behavioural change (n) service user involvement. It is anticipated that the Authority will procure services to be operational from day one (1) (currently expected to be in June 2021), known as day 1 services. The first call-off contracts will be placed by the Authority via day 1 call-off competitions detailed below. These will focus on interventions to provide support for service users subject to court orders and custodial sentences from pre-release through post-release licence and post sentence supervision to reduce re-offending. Day 1 call-off competitions are anticipated to be: (a) call-off competitions with a single service category (run across one or more Geographical Locations); or (b) call-off competitions which combines two or more service categories (run across one or more Geographical Locations) (Multi Service Category Call-Off Competition). The day 1 services call-off competitions are anticipated to be for some or all of the following service categories; the Authority currently intends to combine Service Categories (e),(f),(g),(h) into a multi service category call-off competition • accommodation • ETE • FBD • dependency and recovery. • lifestyle and associates • emotional wellbeing • family and significant others • social inclusion • young adults (Wales only) (covering service categories (e), (f), (g) and (h) above) • women’s services (covering service categories (a) – (h) above). The DF will operate as an open panel to which eligible suppliers can qualify, providing they meet the qualification criteria, during its term. There is no upper limit on the number of providers who can qualify. Suppliers must qualify for individual service categories. There will be the option for call-off contracts to be awarded on a national, regional or local level. Suppliers select all the geographical location(s) where they wish to be invited to call-offs for from a predefined list. Suppliers can amend their preferences throughout the term of the DF. The authority reserves the right to promote grant opportunities through the DF to be awarded under separate procedures and not subject to the PCR. The DF will be available to other Participating Bodies. These include: • HM Prison and probation service • national probation service • HM Prison and probation service Wales • HM Prisons in England and Wales • Central Government departments (e.g DWP), their agencies and NDPBs • Welsh Government • Police and Crime Commissioners • Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) • Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and other combined authorities in England and Wales • Health Authorities in England and Wales (including NHS, Public Health England, HMPPS Substance misuse team) • All Local Authorities in England and Wales.