Official UK procurement notice
CN220350 - Therapies: SEN, Adoption Support Service and VSK (previously SC21032)
Authority: Kent County Council (Local council)·Consortium: 3 public authorities
What is being bought3 lots · detail below
Published requirement descriptionSEN Therapies (Lot 1)
The Council recognises that SEN therapy service providers have an important role in improving a child or young person's (CYP's) participation in learning experiences and access to curriculum opportunities and outcomes for our children who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The Council aims to establish a relational contracting approach with providers on the Qualified Provider List (QPL) that will:
- recognise the interdependencies between local authorities, service providers, Ofsted and other stakeholders;
- facilitate co operation, shared learning and improvement;
- enable the Council to anticipate and respond quickly to the changing needs of CYP with an EHC plan;
- support joint working between the Council's education services and therapy service providers to help improve outcomes for CYP with an EHC plan;
- help ensure sufficiency and suitability of therapy provision tailored to the current and anticipated needs of CYP with an EHC plan; and
- ensure fairness in commercial arrangements between commissioners and providers, with transparency of prices.
Adoption Support Service (Lot 2)
The Adoption Support Fund (ASF) has been established to help adoptive families access the services they need more easily. The ASF provides funds to local authorities (LAs) and Regional Adoption Agencies (RAAs) to pay for essential therapeutic services for eligible adoptive families and families with a Special Guardianship Order (SGO). The aim of the ASF and the support it funds is to:
- improve outcomes for young people and families;
- improve the core adoption/SGO support offered to families; and
- build the evidence base so that interventions demonstrate their effectiveness and value for money.
Virtual Schools Kent (Lot 3)
Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHs) are responsible for promoting the educational achievement of children looked after by the local authority. For some young people, a therapeutic approach or intervention may be required to support access to, or
engagement with, education.
Kent Children in Care (CiC), aged 3 to 18, are supported by Virtual School Kent (VSK). Pupil Premium Plus (PP+), Post 16 Pupil Premium Plus (P16PP+), or Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) funding can be used to pay for activities that:
a) improve the learning targets in children's Personal Education Plans (PEPs); and
b) encourage CiC to be more involved in and interested in their education.
CPV: Education and training services · Health services · Social work and related services
How this framework works
From the published notice- Bids received
- 24 bids on the busiest of 3 lots · 44 suppliers appointed
Lots and requirements (3)Procurement structure
3 lots · no lot values published · evaluation weights differ by lotLot #1SEN Therapies Lot 1Awarded South East
This lot relates to SEN Therapies that are looking to commission:
- Speech and Language (SLT)
- Occupational Therapy (OT) including varying OT approaches to addressing sensory processing differences.
- Physiotherapy (PT)
Lot #2Adoption Support Service Lot 2Awarded UK, South East
Adoption Partnership South East commissions the following therapeutic services:
- Therapeutic parenting training
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy
- Theraplay
- Filial therapy
- Creative therapies, e.g. art, music, drama and play
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Non-Violent Resistance (NVR)
- Sensory integration therapy/Sensory attachment therapy
- Multi Systemic Therapy
- Mentalisation Based Therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Extensive life story work with a therapeutic intervention, where therapy is used to help the young person understand and cope with the trauma and difficulties that their life story work might revisit
- Short Breaks, where these include a substantial element of eligible therapeutic therapies
- Specialist Assessment that meets all of the following criteria:
o an in-depth assessment of the child and family's needs, with a focus on trauma and attachment and links to the assessment of support needs;
o led and undertaken by a suitably qualified clinician(s);
o for the purposes of the ASF, a qualified clinician is someone who diagnoses and treats patients, is suitably qualified and is licensed to practise via an appropriate regulator, such as the Health and Care Professions Council, for example a trained Clinical Psychologist or Attachment Psychotherapist; and
o results in a therapeutic support plan for the child(ren)/family.
Lot #3Virtual School Kent Lot 3Awarded UK, South East
Virtual School Head Teachers (VSHs) are responsible for promoting the educational achievement of all children looked after by the local authority. For some young people, a therapeutic approach or intervention may be required in order to support access to, or
engagement with, education.
Kent Children in Care (CiC), aged 3 to 18 years, are supported by Virtual School Kent (VSK). Pupil Premium Plus (PP+), Post 16 Pupil Premium Plus (P16PP+) or Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) funding may be used to pay for activities that:
a) improve the learning targets set out in children's Personal Education Plans (PEPs); and
b) encourage CiC to be more involved in and motivated by their education.
Therapeutic support provided under this lot should not be regarded as an alternative health provision or a replacement for therapy services that may be commissioned through the NHS. Services provided to support PEP targets often involve intensive specialist interventions or approaches required to maintain educational placements and promote progress.
What it takes to wini
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Evaluation split and conditions of participation as published; the tender pack may add morei
How this buyer will score bids.
The evaluation criteria and weights exactly as published on the notice, grouped by family (price, quality, social value and so on).
Lots publish different evaluation splits; there is no single procedure weighting.
| Lot | Quality | Split |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · SEN Therapies Lot 1 | 100% | |
| 2 · Adoption Support Service Lot 2 | 100% | |
| 3 · Virtual School Kent Lot 3 | 100% |
- Suitability
Therapists must be appropriately qualified and have current registration with a professional body. They must hold the appropriate qualifications for the therapy they are offering. For example:
A play therapist must be registered with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists (PTUK)
If a Psychotherapist wished to offer EMDR Therapy, they must demonstrate they have attended appropriate training and receiving supervision
Local authorities, independent providers (OFSTED registered or the local authority making the application assumes responsibility for quality assurance as an OFSTED registered organisation) and NHS providers e.g., Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS – offering services within the scope of the ASF) can all provide services through the ASF
All therapists working therapeutically with families should have in place clinical supervision which meet the requirements of their professional body
- Need to be familiar with the safeguarding requirements of the RAA
- Be aware of GDPR and Data Protection requirements
As part of due diligence responsibilities, the adoption service and SEN may request to see when commissioning an intervention evidence of:
- Staff qualifications including year obtained and any further details pertaining to training undertaken.
- Professional Body Registration confirmation and expiry date.
- Technical & professional ability
Execution of the service is reserved to a particular profession
- “CN220350 - Therapies: SEN, Adoption Support Service and VSK…” is a framework: the contest is a place on its panel, not a single contract.
Procedure terms & legal framework
From the official record · publisher note attached- Procedure method
- Competitive procedure with negotiation
- Legal basis
- CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)
- Procurement category
- Services
- Notice status
- Awarded
- Procurement threshold
- Unspecified in notice
- Regulatory regime
- Standard
- Commercial structure
- Framework agreement
- Who may use this agreement
- Not stated in the notice; call-off rights may be limited to the establishing authority
- Competition type
- Competitive procedure
- GPA / WTO covered
- Yes (GPA)
- Recurring procurement
- Unspecified in notice
- First published
- 26 Jan 2022, 10:51 GMT
- Last source update
- 30 Oct 2026, 15:27 GMT
- Authority reference
CN220350 (previously SC21032)- FTS notice number
2026/S 000-103360- Classification (CPV)
- Delivery area
- Official registry OCID
ocds-h6vhtk-030f77Find a Tender
- Performance terms
SEN Therapies provisions are funded to support Education Health Care Plans (EHC Plans), the monitoring and review process of contracts will fundamentally tie into Annual Reviews of EHC plans. This will involve a range of collaborative practice with suitable representatives of the SEN Service and KCC to enable focus on the progress towards identified individual outcomes and intervention impact monitoring within the context of a total special educational provision packages contained within EHC Plans.
Adoption Support Services, after a block of therapeutic work has been delivered the clinician will be required to provide a report. This should include:
The therapeutic goals for the work.
Evidence of how and if the goals were achieved (through outcome measures).
A clear summary about the presenting difficulties and how these difficulties are understood in the context of the child’s life, family and wider system (psychological formulation). The level of detail required for this will vary dependent on type of intervention and level of clinical expertise. For example, a detailed report would be expected following an intervention offered with a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist, Clinical Psychologist or Psychotherapist.
If future work is required a clear summary of the goals for the subsequent piece of work is required.
If future work is required there should be a clear rationale for why this is required and how these fit with the psychological formulation.
Annually a review on utilisation and adherence to the standards and requirements identified above will be carried out as part of contract monitoring and compliance. This information will be used to gauge overall performance of the QPL, individual provider performance and will also inform the KCC on any potential gaps in therapies required.
Publisher note: This notice does not concern a new procurement procedure. It publishes the admission of additional providers to an existing Qualified Provider List established under the Light Touch Regime in accordance with Regulations 74-77 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The original QPL was openly advertised and awarded under contract reference SC21032, with Contract Award Notices published on 11 August 2023 and 3 September 2024. The QPL allows for continuous admission of providers during its term. As such, no new call for competition is required and this transparency notice is lawful.
How it was run
Official notice- Appointment period ends
- 1 Mar 2022, 12:00 GMT
- Submission channel
- {"electronicSubmission"}
- Accepted languages
- en
Timeline
1 Mar 2022 → 30 Oct 2026 · 2 dates- Admission / appointment period endsperiod end, not a bid countdown1 Mar 2022, 12:00 GMT
- Notice published17h ago30 Oct 2026, 15:27 GMT
Notice history
7 events · 5 releases on Find a Tender · since 11 Aug 2023- Status changed to complete11 Aug 2023, 10:46 BST
- Procurement method changed11 Aug 2023, 10:46 BST
- Buyer details updated11 Aug 2023, 10:46 BST
- Buyer details updated17 Oct 2023, 10:58 BST
- Buyer details updated3 Sept 2024, 16:08 BST
- Procurement method changed30 Oct 2026, 15:27 GMT
- Buyer details updated30 Oct 2026, 15:27 GMT
Published amendments (1 · 0 deadline changes)
| When | What | Before | After | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | TextTitle to include 'VSK' ; Description to incorporate addition of VSK services · II.1.1; 11.1.4 | Title to include 'VSK' | Description to incorporate addition of VSK services |
1 amendment published without a description.
Routine re-releases (5)
- 2023-08: 1 release · 11 Aug 2023
- 2022-01: 1 release · 26 Jan 2022
Commercial outcome & contract awards
Published awards, contracts and bid statistics, not a forecast26 suppliers are admitted to this framework without individual award values or dates, see the supplier list below.
Contracts
CN220350 - Therapies: SEN, Adoption Support Service and VSK (previously SC21032)
- Signed
- 1 Oct 2026
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Adoption Support Service Lot 2
- Signed
- 1 Oct 2026
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Virtual School Kent Lot 3
- Signed
- 1 Oct 2026
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 028176-2024-SC21032-1
- Signed
- 3 Sept 2024
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Adoption Support Service
- Signed
- 3 Sept 2024
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Virtual Schools Kent
- Signed
- 3 Sept 2024
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-11
- Signed
- 22 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
SC21032 Therapies - SEN and Adoption Support Service
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-10
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-12
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-13
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-14
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-15
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-16
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-17
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-18
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-19
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-2
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-20
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Contract 023531-2023-SC21032-3
- Signed
- 21 Nov 2022
- Value
- —
- Status
- active
Bid statistics published by the authority
| Lot | Bids | SME | VCSE | Valid bid range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · SEN Therapies Lot 1 | 24bids · 24 electronic | 20 | — | £1 – £10,000,000 |
| 2 · Adoption Support Service Lot 2 | 24bids · 24 electronic | 14 | — | £1 – £10,000,000 |
| 3 · Virtual School Kent Lot 3 | 19bids · 19 electronic | 14 | — | £1 – £1,000,000 |
| Whole notice | — | — | — | £1 – £100,000,000 |
Contracting authority & participating public bodies
2 public bodies on the noticeFramework contractors & participating bidders
44 commercial parties on the notice- Adoption UK CharityFramework contractor
- Alice LawrenceFramework contractor
- Andrea Bell, sole trader of KentOT4KidsFramework contractor
- Andrew Green S&L TherapistFramework contractor
- As We Grow Therapy - Leanne OsborneFramework contractor
- Barnardo’sFramework contractor
- Canterbury Functional Comm LtdFramework contractor
- Chroma Therapies LtdFramework contractor
- Clever Kids LtdFramework contractor
- Connect B4 Correct Clinical PartnershipFramework contractor
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Official documents & specifications (2)
Official links; attachments are not copiedTender pack and attachments
- Economic and financial selection criteria
- Technical selection criteria