Purpose

The contract to WECIL to provide the SEND
Participation Service enables Bristol City Council to meet
legislative duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the
SEND Code of Practice 2015. ,The service supports children and
young people with SEND to share their experiences of social care,
education and training to influence the design, delivery, and
evaluation of services, The current provider, WECIL, is performing
well and therefore it has been decided to enact the available
contract extension from 1st April 2026-31st March 2029.

Content

To enact a 3-year contract extension of the
SEND Participation Service provided by WECIL from 1st April
2026-31st March 2029 to support children and young people with SEND
to influence the design, delivery, and evaluation of
services.

Alternative options considered

1) Not to enact the 3-year contract extension
and cease to provide the service. This was rejected as the current
provider is performing well and delivering good outcomes for young
people, with service users reporting positive outcomes. Ceasing to
provide the service would not allow us to meet our statutory
duties.
2) Recommission immediately with an alternative provider. This was
rejected as the current provider is performing well and delivering
good outcomes for young people, with service users reporting
positive outcomes. This option was also rejected due to resource
constraints and risk of service disruption
3) Bring the service in-house. This option was rejected due to lack
of internal capacity and specialist expertise.