Framework Tender for Fostering Families and Adult Caring Households (Continuing Care and Aftercare) Services

Description

A Framework is being established with Providers registered as Fostering Services and Adult Placement Services to secure future Fostering Families and Adult Caring Household provision for children and young people who require to be looked after and accommodated away from home. From this point on any reference to Bidder will mean the Provider Organisation who is bidding to provide Fostering Families and Adult Caring Household services, referred to hereafter for ease as Fostering Families. following award, Glasgow City Council (the Council) will establish a multi-supplier Framework. The awarded Bidders and Fostering Families will play a key role in supporting the Council to meet its statutory duties in providing care and support to children and young people who need to be Looked After or Looked After and Accommodated in a family setting. Awarded Bidders will work in collaboration and close partnership with Social Work staff and key partner agencies, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and Education services to deliver the outcomes for the children and young people as specified by the Council in the child or young person’s My Plan. Contract Duration: 3 Years, plus the option to extend for a further 1 year. Awarded Bidders will be expected to recruit Fostering Families from within the Glasgow City boundary. Where this is not possible, and to ensure the most compatible match for the child or young person, recruitment of Fostering Families within a 20 mile radius of the Glasgow City boundary and beyond will be considered. Lot 1: Fostering Families The Lot tendered was for Fostering Family arrangements where there may be one or more child or young person, including the Fostering Family’s own children or other fostered children or young people being cared for, depending on the Foster Families’ registration. This Lot also includes provision for Mother and Baby placements. Age Group – 0 to 18 years (18th Birthday). Lot 1 is explicitly tied to Lot 3. Bidders who applied to Lot 1 also bid for Lot 3. Lot 2: Individual Fostering Families The Lot tendered was for the provision of individual Fostering Families which require the child or young person to be the only child or young person being cared for in the Fostering Family household. A key emphasis of the Fostering Family support is safeguarding, and will necessitate the carers being very experienced and suitably skilled to care for, and support the child or young person. Children and young people in this category may have neuro diversity profiles and may struggle to live in busy, noisy environments with multiple children, or young people, or children or young people may display behaviour which can pose a risk to themselves or others, including other children and young people. This Lot also includes provision for Mother and Baby placements. Age Group – 0 to 18 years (18th Birthday). Lot 2 is tied to Lot 3. Bidders who applied to Lot 2 also bid for Lot 3. Lot 3: Adult Caring Households (Continuing Care and Aftercare) The awarded Lot covers the provision of care to a young person who was formerly looked after away from home between the ages of 16 and 18 but is now no longer a Looked After Child (LAC) and who has opted to remain in their current placement (Continuing Care), or where the young person remains in placement on an Aftercare basis. Legal status becomes either Continuing Care until 21st Birthday, or Aftercare until the 26th Birthday. This Lot also includes provision for Mother and Baby placements. Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (GCHSCP) may, on occasion, seek Adult Caring Households for young people who have not previously lived with Fostering Families on a Foster Care basis. GCHSCP is committed to the Staying Put agenda, and in supporting young people to remain in or move to Providers where they are happy, and their needs are met until they are ready to move towards greater independence. The care given will acknowledge and proactively support the growing maturity and increasing independent living skills of the young person. Age Groups Continuing Care 18 to 21 (21st birthday) Aftercare 18 to 26 years (26th birthday). This Lot is tied to Lot 1 and Lot 2. Bidders awarded could not bid for Lot 3 on it's own. Lot 4: Providers for Children and Young People with Complex Learning, Physical Disability and Mental Health Conditions The Lot awarded is for the provision of Foster Family and Adult Caring Household based care for children and young people with very complex care needs. This requires the provision of Foster Families and Adult Caring Households where the Carers recruited already have, or are able and willing to develop particular skills and abilities to support children and young people with some or all of the following needs: Non-verbal communication/communication through other methods Needs that require specific training for the Provider and Providers, e.g. nutrition is met through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) or stoma care Significant daily and overnight physical care needs Autistic Spectrum Disorder Medical needs that require additional support and attendance at NHS appointments Administration of medication/rescue medication (PRN) Round the clock supervision Ongoing CAMHs or other professionals’ involvement This list is not exhaustive. This Lot also includes provision for Mother and Baby placements. Examples of the range of disabilities expected to be covered by this Lot are included as part of the tender documents. Age Group – 0 to 26 years (26th birthday)