The North West Local Authorities are developing a Flexible Purchasing System (FPS) to facilitate the commissioning of high quality Fostering Placements for Children and Young People. We are looking for knowledgeable and experienced providers to work with us to transform the lives of children, enabling them to break down barriers and turn challenging situations into positive ones. Through the FPS we are looking for sustainability, transformation and innovation with providers and Local Authorities and wider partners to work together to ensure each one of our children has the capacity, skills, independence and resilience they will need to meet the challenges of adult life in the 21st century.

This is flexible ‘mainstream’ provision in foster carers’ homes providing 24 hours care and sup-port for the children and young people placed with their education, health, cultural, social and independent living needs.

The service must have at least 1 fostering house-hold located within the participating authorities or in a Non-North West authority which shares a border with a North West authority to apply.

Please refer to the Tender / Service Specification document.

There are occasions where young people with more complex needs who have been identified as benefitting from a foster placement, which would not be sustainable without significant levels of additional support and / or differentiated delivery models.

These specialist or bespoke packages will support young people into achieving positive outcomes in a family environment who may not otherwise have had the opportunity because of their higher level of need.

The needs of young people requiring this service will be individual and identified at the point of referral but are likely to include one or more of the following features:

— challenging and emotional behaviour,

— experienced at least one, if not multiple, placement breakdowns,

— have more complex health and medical needs,

— are currently living in residential care,

— are in a residential placement where the plan is rehabilitation home,

— are living at home but the placement is breaking down and the young person is likely to go to into residential care as the next option.

The Provider must ensure that foster carers have the understanding, skill, training, resilience, capacity and resources required to meet the needs of young people.

It is expected that Provider responses to this category will be bespoke, creative and often innovative responses to the referral sent through. Responses will be priced at the point of referral / ’mini-competition’.

In some circumstances, which will be clearly identified in the referral, the Lead Council may countenance a longer lead time before uptake of placements and may be able to wait a number of weeks to secure the correct carer and package.

The service must have at least 1 fostering household located within the participating authorities or in a Non-North West authority which shares a border with a North West authority to apply.

Please refer to the Tender / Service Specification document.

This category is for organisations who are interested in bidding for services to meet the needs of a number of young people. This might be for named young people or could be for future business for assessed predicted need.

This Lot is designed as a category to support the innovation, and the sharing of risk between purchaser and provider. It is anticipated that there will be a need for provider engagement and co-production in design prior to mini competitions being held in this category.

Local Authorities may use this category individually or in bespoke collaborations.

Each referral will include additional service specification, information for applicants and cost and quality information / requests.

Participation in the category does not require that providers commit to responding to mini-competitions sent through the category. It is understood that some providers may decide that some or all models / proposals are not suitable for their organisation. Participation in the category allows organisations to see and respond to mini-competitions.

Applicants will not be accepted onto Lot 3 unless they are successful in one or more of Lots 1 to 2.

Please refer to the Tender / Service Specification document.