Purpose

This report sets out the proposed approach to the commissioning
of Advocacy, Independent Visitor and Independent Person service for
children and young people for a short-term arrangement of 3
years.
 
The Advocacy service will provide independent and confidential
information and advice within a legal framework. The service will
support children and young people who may be involved in a
representation or a complaint about children’s social care
services. Camden has a duty under the Children Act 1989, The
Adoption and Children Act 2002, the Children (Leaving Care) Act
2000 to provide an Independent Advocacy Service.
 
The Independent Visitor Service have statutory duties
established by the Children Act 1989 which include visiting,
advising and befriending any young person who has had no or
infrequent contact with their parents for over a year.
Both the Advocacy and Independent Vistors element
will be delivered for via a block arrangement totaling
a minimum of 98 cases per year (85 for Advocacy and 13 for
Independent Visitors) with a maximum annual budget of
£80,000.
 
The Independent Person (IP) role is to provide the independent
element within the stage two of the complaints procedure made about
the services children and young people receive. To supply an
independent person to work alongside the investigating officer
throughout the formal Stage legal requirement under the
Children’s Act 1989. Officers intend to seek proposals from
providers for an agreed cost per Stage two investigation and for
cases that exceed the required minimum number of Advocacy
cases.
 
The recommendation is to tender for the services using a one
stage process under the light touch regime for a new contract to
commence on or around 01 August 2024. The contract period will be
for three (3) years to enable the service to review the challenging
and changing market for children’s services. The proposed
value for the Advocacy Service will be £80,000 per annum for
a period of three years. The total value of the initial contract
period will be £240,000.
 
 

Content

THAT the Director of Children’s Prevention, Family Help
and Safeguarding approves (and notes any exceptions or relevant
impact) the procurement strategy for the provision of the Advocacy,
Independent Visitor and Independent Person services for children
and young people, which includes a price/quality split of 30/70 and
contract term of 3 years for an estimated aggregate value of
£240,000.