Reopening of the Provider list for Break Time, Home Care and Short Breaks Services for children and young people with disabilities - LCC10029

Lancashire County Council (the Authority) wishes to establish an open Provider List of Break Time and Short Breaks Providers who are suitable, capable and experienced to deliver the required services. This will greatly improve choice and the ability to meet the needs of children and young people with appropriate services.

The Authority remain committed to developing the short breaks services across Lancashire and want to be able to improve service quality for the Children and Young People with SEND in Lancashire by working in partnership with providers.

This procurement is to establish one open Provider List of approved Service Providers to deliver all the required Services. All existing providers are positively encouraged to apply.

Please see below advert:

Following the initial application phase the Provider List is now open for new applications, which can be submitted at anytime. Evaluations of new applications are at least annually. Evaluation deadlines will be published.

The Services commissioned from the new Provider List are listed below and will support the Authority in fulfilling its statutory duty to provide a full range of Short Break Services to children/young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND") which is sufficient to assist their primary carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively.

Applicants are invited to apply for all or any of the following Lots and there is no restrictions for the number of lots they can successful in:

Lot 1a Break Time

Lot 1b Break Time Plus

Lot 2a Day Time Short Breaks

Lot 2b Day Time Personal Care

Lot 3 Night Time Overnight Short Breaks

Lot 4 Intensive Positive Behaviour Support

It is intended that the Provider List will remain effect for 5 years (1^st April 2022 – 31^st march 2027), with option to extend and shall not exceed a maximum of 7 years.

The Provider List is an open list: Applicants can apply to join during its term if the Applicant satisfies the selection, quality and price requirements and is able to deliver the Service as described in the Service Specifications.

Evaluations of new Applications will take place annually as detailed in the ITP. The Authority reserves the right to evaluate sooner. Exact Application Evaluation deadlines dates will be communicated via the Sourcing portal as a message and published below:

Evaluation round details

For your application to be considered please note the dates below:

Please note the next evaluation round will be approximately October/December 2024.

Existing business

Break Time

Please be aware that all existing Lancashire Break Time arrangements will cease on the 31st March 2022 and these will be replaced by Break Time activities from the 1st April.   Existing children and young people whose current provider are not awarded a place on the Provider List will be supported to transfer their Break Time hours to a successful provider of their choice.

Home Care and Short Breaks

Please be aware that existing service users whose current provider is not awarded a place on the Provider List will have their care package transferred to a successful provider of their choice, unless they wish to take a direct payment to manage their own arrangements. 

Existing service users whose current provider is awarded a place on the Provider List will remain with their existing provider to ensure continuity of care, unless they expressly choose otherwise.

How to apply

To participate and join the Provider List, please read all documents listed below. Applicants must complete all the required documents (as stated in the ITP) and must be returned via the iSupplier portal: www.lancashire.gov.uk/isupplier under LCC10029

You must also check the iSupplier portal on a regular basis for 'messaging function', this will provide a log of any clarification questions raised by Applicant and the Authority's responses.

All aspects (documents/attachments/responses) of the application can and must be submitted via the iSupplier portal. The Authority will not accept email or hard copy/paper applications in relation to this process and you must submit your application electronically via the iSupplier portal.

All instructions on how to apply to join the Provider List, evaluation criteria terms and conditions and documents to be returned can be downloaded from the list of documents below. Please also check the iSupplier portal on a regular basis.

If you require support when using iSupplier Portal the contact details are on the 'Isupplier contact' page of the LCC website:

LCC Procurement team contacts - Lancashire County Council

Further information and documentation:

Invitation to participate documents

Provider information days:

Please see attached letter for interested providers.

Online engagement event for Homecare Providers: This event has now passed - See presentations below