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Brief description: |
Please Note:
This advert first appeared on the South East Business Portal ,
Ref SC097
The unitary authorities for Reading, Wokingham and West
Berkshire together with the Berkshire West primary care NHS trust are jointly
commissioning a carers’ information advice and support service. On behalf of the
four commissioning bodies, Reading Borough Council (the Council) invites
expressions of interest from suitably experienced providers who wish to be
included on the list of tenderers for the above contract.
The contract
will be to provide good quality and outcome focused services, in line with the
national carers strategy, to support informal / unpaid carers – including young
carers - of adults with care needs, or children with additional support needs.
The focus will be on:
• information, advice and relatively low level
support for a high number of carers;
• enabling and empowering carers to
access other support services depending on their individual needs and
aspirations to stay well, continue caring, and enjoy a life of their own; and
• strong and effective partnership working across sectors to promote and
develop the support infrastructure for carers.
The key principles
which would be expected to underpin the service are:
• Recognition of
and respect for the role of carers;
• Acknowledgement of carers as expert
care partners;
• A commitment to supporting all carers, particularly those
under-represented amongst support services;
• A focus on the needs and
aspirations of carers as individuals;
• A focus on achieving positive
outcomes for individual carers;
• Promoting self determination and not
creating dependency; and
• A commitment to the principles of safeguarding
and taking appropriate action where necessary.
The contract, which is
expected to start in September 2012, will be for a three year period with an
option to extend by a further two years, subject to annual review and future
funding allocations. The estimated annual value of the contract is circa
£276,000.
This is a competitive procurement exercise being conducted in
accordance with the Council’s Contracts Procedure Rules. The services are to be
procured under a two stage restricted procedure and organisations interested in
expressing an interest should download the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ)
documentation which is available on the South East Business Portal at:
https://www.businessportal.southeastiep.gov.uk
Please note: you must register your interest via the South East Business Portal
and/or directly by e-mail to
Contracts.Team@reading.gov.uk
quoting reference number SC097 if you intend to submit a PQQ. We will
acknowledge receipt. If your organisation has not registered an expression of
interest we will not be able to send you any amendments to the PQQ documents, or
send you responses to requests for PQQ clarification from other potential
candidates.
The closing date and time for receipt of completed
pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQ) is 20 February 2012 at 12 noon. PQQs must
be completed and submitted in hard copy and returned to the following address:
Reading Borough Council
Housing and Community Care
Contracts and
Commissioning Team
Level 6
Civic Offices
Reading RG1 7AE
for the
attention of: Christina Appleton
Responses to the questionnaire will be
used to determine an organisation’s eligibility to tender for the contract.
Following the receipt and analysis of completed questionnaires a shortlist of
organisations which the Council will invite to tender will be drawn up;
subsequently tender documents will be dispatched to selected applicants on 20
March 2012.
The commissioning authorities welcome and encourage bids
from organisations coming together under a consortium arrangement to tender for
this contract. Support to develop such consortia may be available to smaller
and/or third sector organisations from the following sources.
Reading
Voluntary Action
8 Cross Street
Reading
RG1 1SN
(attn. Ann
Laing, Partnership Manager, or Rachel Spencer, Advice Services Manager)
email:
info@rva.org.uk
Tel: 0118 957 4123.
National Association for Voluntary and Community
Action
The Tower
2 Furnival Square
Sheffield S1 4QL
Website:
http://www.navca.org.uk/membersdirectory
Tel: 0114 278 6636
The Ark Studio
Ravenswood Village
Nine Mile
Ride
Crowthorne
Berkshire RG45 6BQ
(attn: Andrea McCombie-Parker)
email:
info@theark.org.uk
Tel: (01344) 755528
The Council anticipates that the transfer of
undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE) will apply to
this contract.
A response to this advertisement does not in itself
guarantee an issue of an invitation to tender and Reading Borough Council does
not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender subsequently received.
20 January 2012
Corporate Procurement Unit |
