Principal Social Workers (PSW) provide a key leadership role in social work. The Statutory Guidance to the Care Act (2014) established their role formally. The Department has provided support to the network of PSW since 2014.

We now wish to manage an open competition for a supplier to maintain and continue the support to these networks.

The contract will provide management of the PSW networks for both adults and children and family social work, offering administrative and operational support to the network and its chairs and to coordinate meetings and conferences.

The contract includes a website to host resources and best practice guidance, proving a members’ area for Principle Social Workers. For DHSC work also includes providing a certification process for our Assessed and Supported Year of Employment (ASYE) programme for Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs).

There are 4 specific services that are included within this Contract. The successful supplier will be required to:

— maintain a Website for publications that were commissioned by Government and others in the sector,

— host the Principal Social Worker (PSW) Network (Adults),

— host the Principal Social Worker Network (PSW) (Children and Families),

— provide Certification services of the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) (adults) on behalf of the Department for Health and Social Care.

Additional deliverable (this will be invoked if required): Extension of professional support to include development of Principal Social Workers. This potential requirement set out below covers Child and Family Social Workers (PCFSW) but may also be extended to include a similar service for Adults Social Workers which would be funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The estimated value of the Core Deliverables of the Contract is 162 000 GBP. There is a possibility of an additional deliverable to be delivered later in the contract with an estimated value of 70 000 GBP and will be invoked if required. This deliverable is detailed within the specification. Please note that the pricing schedule does not include the additional deliverable and should only reflect the core deliverables.