con_12008 Architect Support Services

This is a contract award notice for an architectural consultancy service primarily for the provision of specialist, technical and design advice regarding Secure Children's Homes (SCHs).

Secure Children's Homes (SCHs) provide care and accommodation for young people who have been placed by Local Authorities (LAs) in secure accommodation orders (Section 25 of the Children Act 1989) for their welfare and protection, or who have been placed under criminal justice legislation by the Youth Custody Service (YCS).

SCHs provide services for children aged between 10-17. The smallest SCH currently has 7 beds and the largest has 38 beds. All SCHs must have suitable education provision on site that meets the requirements of the national curriculum.

The consultancy service is primarily for the provision of specialist, technical and design advice to the Looked After Children's (LAC) Division of the Department for Education (DfE) in relation to SCH accommodation and associated capital projects, particularly those which may be eligible for grant funding support from the DfE. The Consultants shall also provide advice on building and design standards to the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) where this is essential to support decisions on the suitability and licensing of SCH premises, including new builds, and to the SCHs themselves, their LA / non-LA providers and the technical advisers they separately employ.