Purpose

Additional Educational Psychologists to supplement Wirral EP Service's core team to deliver statutory psychological advices required for children and young people undergoing the Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process.

Decision

The Director of Children Family and Education Services has approved the award of a Contract to LIQUID PERSONNELL LIMITED for Educational Psychology services to support the delivery of statutory psychological advice required for the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process. The Children, Young People and Education Committee previously approved the commencement of a procurement exercise for these services and delegated authority to the Director of Children, Families and Education to award the Contract following completion of the procurement process and evaluation of tenders.

The Contract will run from 1st November 2026 until 30th November 2029 for a period of up to three years on a call-off basis with a maximum contract value of £3,068,025. The annual contract value is £1,022,675, which is within the current annual budget.

Reasons for the decision

The tender from LIQUID PERSONNELL LIMITED represents the most advantageous tender received, is fully compliant and is within allocated budgetary provision. 

Educational Psychologists (EPs) play a critical role in identifying special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and providing a statutory contribution to Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNAs). The Council is required under Regulation 6(1)(d) of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 to obtain psychological advice and information from an Educational Psychologist as part of the EHCNA process, with advice required within six weeks of a request being made.

The proposed Contract will support the Council in meeting its statutory duties and responding to findings identified in Ofsted's Local Area SEND Inspection report published in April 2025, which highlighted long-standing systemic weaknesses in EHCP processes and unacceptably long waiting times for assessments.

A three-year call-off Contract will provide continuity of service and flexibility in responding to fluctuating levels of assessment demand. The arrangement aligns with Wirral Council's 'Grow Your Own' Educational Psychology workforce strategy, supporting the gradual development of in-house capacity whilst enabling external provision to be commissioned as required to meet statutory responsibilities and manage resources effectively.

Alternative options considered

Continuing to commission services through the YPO framework was considered. Alternative frameworks, including ESPO, ProcurePublic and GEM, were also explored. Whilst these frameworks offer compliant routes to market for professional services, market engagement identified that Educational Psychology providers operate across a range of frameworks and delivery models. An open tender process was therefore considered the most effective approach to maximise market engagement, encourage competition and provide access to the widest range of potential providers, including Educational Psychology organisations and specialist recruitment agencies.

An option to rely solely on the Council's in-house Educational Psychology service was also considered but rejected. Current demand for statutory psychological advice associated with the EHCNA process continues to exceed available in-house capacity. Whilst the Council is investing in its internal Educational Psychology workforce through the 'Grow Your Own' strategy, additional time is required for this programme to deliver the level of capacity necessary to meet demand and deliver statutory advice requirements exclusively in-house.

The open tender process enabled the Council to competitively assess providers against its specific requirements for quality, capacity, service delivery and social value. The recommended Liquid Personnel Limited achieved the highest overall score and represents the Most Advantageous Tender. Awarding the Contract will provide the additional Educational Psychology capacity required to support delivery of statutory duties, improve timeliness within the EHCNA process and maintain service continuity whilst in-house workforce capacity continues to develop.

The short-term direct award arrangement was approved solely as a contingency measure to maintain service continuity during mobilisation and was not considered a suitable long-term solution given the Council's requirement to undertake a competitive procurement exercise.