Children's Direct Payment Support Services

Cumberland Council is procuring a Children’s Direct Payment Support Service under the Procurement Act 2023 Light Touch Regime The Authority is commissioning a Service Provider to offer a Direct Payment Support Service on its behalf. The Service Provider is required to deliver support to all eligible families in receipt of Direct Payments. Families will have the choice over the support they wish to access, so not all families will necessarily access all categories of support at any given point, though their needs may change over time.

The Service Provider shall help families get the most out of their Direct Payment by providing information and guidance on how Direct Payments can be used and also explain the family’s responsibilities in relation to receiving Direct Payments including putting in place, planning for and renewing indemnity insurance where a Personal Assistant is employed, undertaking and renewing a DBS for their Personal Assistant, clear accounting for income and expenditure of Direct Payments and their statutory payment duties where applicable. The proposed start date of the contract is 01st April 2027. The initial term of the contract is 12 months and there is one potential extension period available of up to 12 months.

Use of extension periods is at the absolute discretion of the council. The maximum total contract value is £263,867 excluding VAT. This includes the initial term, extension periods if implemented and potential uplifts.

If the council implements an extension or uplift, this will be confirmed in writing to the successful supplier in advance. If the services to be provided are exempt from VAT, then VAT cannot be charged by the successful supplier. For further details and to access the tender documents use the council’s online procurement portal, The Chest https://www.

the-chest. org. uk You must be registered on The Chest to be able to view the opportunity and submit a tender.

Registration is simple and free on the above link. It is also essential that you register on Find a Tender at https://www. gov.

uk/find-tender and evidence of registration must be provided with your tender. Ensure you read and understand the Invitation to Tender (ITT) before completing the tender documents. The ITT includes details about what is being procured, instructions on how to bid (including deadlines) and a copy of the terms and conditions you’d be signing up to if you were successful.

Any clarification questions you want to ask the council must be sent via messaging on The Chest by the deadline stated in the ITT. All bids must be submitted to the council electronically via The Chest by the deadline stated in the ITT.