Independent Adoption & Special Guardianship Order Support Services

Kent County Council is seeking to commission a county-wide service regarding Independent Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Services. The services will be available to those living within the Kent County Council geographical area, or where adoption has taken place through Kent County Council. The service will consist of four distinct elements:- Service A: An Independent Support Service to Birth Parents. This service provides a support and counselling service to birth parents prior to an adoption taking place, where a child is (or children are) in care and looked after by Kent County Council, and for whom adoption has been identified as the plan. Service B: An Access to Birth Records and Intermediary Services for Adult Adoptees This service assists adopted persons, either adopted through Kent County Council or who are resident in Kent, and who are aged 18 years or over, to obtain information in relation to their adoption, and to facilitate contact between such persons and their adult birth relatives. Service C: Access to Information and Intermediary Services for Birth Relatives and those in Prescribed Relationship This service provides access to non-identifying information regarding the adoption and advice and support to birth relatives and those with a prescribed relationship aged 18 years and over; including access to intermediary services when the adoptee has reached age 18 years or over. Service D: Contact Services This service provides contact services, direct and indirect, for children under the age of 18 years who have been adopted, or who are the subject of a Special Guardianship Order and who may have contact with their birth relatives. Kent County Council is seeking to award one contract covering all the above under this tender process. It is the Council's intention to award the contract for a period of three years with the potential to extend for a further two years. The contract will commence on 1st October 2018. Please note that these services can only be delivered by an Adoption Support Agency registered with Ofsted. Further details on service delivery are contained in the Invitation to Tender. Applications must be submitted via the Kent Business Portal www.kentbusinessportal.org.uk