Supplier for a continuous professional development (CPD) programme on permanence for child and family social workers.

The Department made a commitment in Adoption: A vision for change (March 2016) - available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/512826/Adoption_Policy_Paper_30_March_2016.pdf - to develop a continuous professional development programme to enable social workers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to successfully undertake the complex assessment, analysis and permanence decision making we require of them, and progress permanence plans with urgency and skill.

The programme is likely to focus on:

• improving the quality of permanence assessments of both children and carers; • enabling more robust and evidence-based decisions between different permanence options; • building skills to ensure that court material is well prepared and clearly argued, and developing social workers’ skills in presenting and defending cases in court effectively; • improving the direct work skills necessary to prepare children for permanence and undertake high quality life story work, and training carers in appropriate re-parenting and therapeutic strategies; • commitment to delivering a professional and high quality service where all parties are treated with respect; • ensuring pragmatic and timely matching decisions, where the impact of delay is well understood and there is recognition of how unconscious bias can effect decision making; and • improving the support provided to carers post placement, the diagnosis of support needs and the skills for the commissioning and/ - or delivery of support.

We propose to tender for a supplier to develop a CPD programme for child and family social workers involved in achieving permanence. The contract with the supplier will commence in January 2017. In mid-2017 we propose to further tender for a number of suppliers to deliver the CPD programme.

We want the CPD programme to be a kite-marked course that includes some sort of test and certification. It will not be compulsory and will not be accredited. Our aim is for a CPD programme that is attractive to social workers and that their employers want them to do. We want to ensure that the programme is sustainable and makes a positive difference in the short and long-term practice of the social workers who attend.

The role of the supplier will be to define target audience needs, design the content and delivery mechanism of the CPD programme and potentially refine the programme following an independent evaluation.

Indicative timeline:

Issue PIN May 2016 Advert placed November 2016 Supplier engagement event 12 October 2016 Contract Award January 2017

Additional information: ESTIMATED VALUE: £300k (with a possible £50k to refine the programme following evaluation)

START AND END DATES OF THE CONTRACT: January 2017 to July 2017 (with a possible additional month of work in early 2018-19).

We intend to hold a Supplier Engagement Event on 12 October 2016 at the Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT.

This event will provide an opportunity for all interested suppliers to be informed about further details on the proposed procurement process and timetable, enable dialogue with potential suppliers and meet key members of the Department for Education project team involved in this procurement.

To register your interest in attending this event, please email Hélène Stewart at permanence.cpd@education.gsi.gov.uk. Please note that places will be limited to three people per organisation.