Market Testing Exercise - Children's Residential Care Services

Abstract:

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is undertaking a market testing exercise to inform future commissioning intentions for children's residential care services.

The Council is seeking to engage with residential care providers operating within Neath Port Talbot and geographically close to the County Borough, including providers currently commissioned by the Council and those who may not currently provide placements for Neath Port Talbot children.

The purpose of the exercise is to strengthen the Council's understanding of the children's residential care market, gather market intelligence and explore how providers are responding to legislative changes associated with the Welsh Government's programme to remove profit from the care of children who are looked after. The Council also wishes to better understand opportunities and challenges affecting the residential care sector, including market sustainability, workforce pressures, capacity and future commissioning approaches. The market testing activity will additionally support the ongoing development of the Council's Children's Residential Care Market Position Statement.

Purpose of Market Testing:

The Council wishes to engage with organisations that have experience of delivering children's residential care services.

The purpose of the testing exercise is to:

• Understand current market capacity, demand pressures and sustainability challenges
• Gather intelligence regarding workforce recruitment and retention issues
• Understand provider preparedness for the Welsh Government's programme to remove profit from the care of children who are looked after
• Explore potential future commissioning approaches and partnership opportunities
• Test assumptions and priorities within the Council's draft Children's Residential Care Market Position Statement
• Inform future sufficiency planning, commissioning considerations and market development activity

Feedback gathered through this testing activity will help inform future planning and commissioning considerations.

Areas for Discussion

A discussion paper containing further information and specific questions will be circulated in advance of the testing sessions.

Discussions are expected to focus on the following themes:

• Market Capacity and Local Market Intelligence
• Legislative and Policy Developments
• Future Commissioning Approaches
• Neath Port Talbot Children's Residential Care Market Position Statement.

Market Testing Sessions:

Individual sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Joining instructions will be issued in advance of the session.

Sessions will last up to one hour and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Timeslots

Wednesday 18th November 2026

• 09:00 – 10:00
• 10:30 – 11:30
• 12:00 – 13:00

Thursday 19th November 2026

• 14:00 – 15:00
• 15:30 – 16:30

Wednesday 25th November 2026

• 14:00 – 15:00
• 15:30 – 16:30

Thursday 26th November 2026

• 09:00 – 10:00
• 11:00 – 12:00
• 14:00 – 15:00
• 15:30 – 16:30

Friday 27th November 2026

• 09:00 – 10:00
• 10:30 – 11:30
• 11:30 – 12:30
• 13:30 – 14:30
• 15:00 – 16:00

Monday 30th November 2026

• 09:00 – 10:00
• 10:30 – 11:30
• 12:00 – 13:00
• 13:30 – 14:30
• 15:30 – 16:30

How to Register:

Organisations wishing to participate should email:

[email protected]

Please provide:

• Organisation name
• Contact name
• Contact email address
• Preferred day and time slot(s)

Important Information:

This market testing exercise is being undertaken solely to inform the Council's understanding of the children's residential care market and potential future commissioning options. It does not constitute a call for competition, procurement exercise or commitment by the Council to undertake any future procurement activity.

Any information gathered through this testing activity will be used to support future sufficiency planning, service development and commissioning considerations. Participation in market testing will not provide any advantage or disadvantage in relation to any future procurement process.

In line with the Council's commitment to supporting a sustainable and sufficient local market, the Council welcomes participation from existing providers, providers operating within Neath Port Talbot and providers operating in neighbouring areas who may have an interest in supporting future provision for children and young people.

Please note the the monetary values and contract dates are purely to populate mandatory fields to complete this notice and shall not be taken notice of.