Dorset Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

Dorset Council in partnership with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is seeking tenders from suitably experienced and capable service providers for the Dorset SENDIASS Service.

Access to SEND Information, Advice and Support (IAS) is a statutory requirement (Children & Families Act 2014). SENDIAS must be available and accessible for Dorset children, young people and young adults (0 to 25 years) with Special Educational Needs, and their parents and carers.

Dorset SENDIASS currently offers a service to parents and carers developed from the existing (and renamed) Parent Partnership Service. The offer for children and young people is minimal. Revised National Minimum Standards Guidance (2014) applies to SENDIAS services across the country.

The expectation is for the provider to deliver SENDIAS in the Dorset Council area to:

· Meet statutory requirements including the minimum standards

· Deliver an equivalent service for children and young people

· Improve capacity to intervene earlier

This tender relates to provisions for children, young people, adults and their families.

The contract will commence from 1st April 2021 and will be a long-term contract and bids will be invited for either a maximum of 7 years or 10 years (this includes extension periods).

The Contract Value is approximately £170,900 per annum and Total Contract Value equating to £ 1,196,300 (7 years) £1,709,000 (10 years), depending which option represents best value following tender evaluation.

The Service Specification also details the service, aims and objectives, description of the service and eligibility, staffing requirements, how to access the service, performance management and reporting.

This Tender is being advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union.