Expression of Interest - Ofsted Registered Residential Care Homes for Looked After Children in Thurrock

Thurrock Council is seeking initial expressions of interest to procure block contract arrangements for residential care beds for looked after children. As of February 2022 there were 29 children who were currently residing in a registered care home, representing around 10% of the total number of looked after children. In response to the national issues around sourcing appropriate placements for children with complex difficulties, Thurrock is seeking to establish contractual partnerships with existing providers who hold Ofsted registration for children's residential care homes.

The Council is exploring a number of options including but not limited to: o Homes within Thurrock or close to its border o Solo and multi placement homes o Utilising either Local Authority housing stock or property already owned or to be acquired by a potential provider o Placements for children with Emotional, Social and Behavioural Difficulties (ESBD) o Placements for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) o Block contract arrangements to ensure access for Thurrock children o Medium and long term placements o Emergency placements held ready for use at short notice o Providers who have existing capacity or are looking to expand their provision

At this stage the Council is seeking an indication of whether providers would like to be considered for inclusion in this process.

Please express your interest through the In-Tend portal by 8th April 2022.

Please note that contract start and end date in this advert is a required field, but the dates are currently unknown for this project. The dates provided are therefore not reflective of the actual anticipated contract start and end date for this project.

Additional information: Is a Recurrent Procurement Type? : No