Kent Social Work and Related Services Tenders & Contracts

DoLS Mental Health Assessment. This is not a call for competition, this is to express interest in this opportunity. Kent County Council (KCC) are anticipating procuring a DoLS Mental Health Assessment with the tender anticipated to launch in November 2026; Kent County Council does not guarantee this. The opportunity that launches will seek a supplier, working in conjunction with Kent DoLS Service, to arrange and complete these assessments, through the delivery of a Mental Health Assessment Service. The assessments must be undertaken by Section 12 doctors, who are also full members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and/or on the GMC Specialist Register as a specialist in psychiatry; and, where appropriate, those assessors must complete recommendations under the Mental Capacity Act. KCC propose a Service Commencement date of 1 May 2027. The Service Contract is expected to be for 2 years, with a possible extension of up 2 years.

NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (the Commissioner) is publishing this notice to inform the market of its intention to follow the Most Suitable Provider (MSP) process for the award of a contract for a Mental Health Community Step-Down Facility. The service will provide a 9-bed, community-based step-down facility for adults with severe mental health needs who are ready for discharge from acute inpatient services and require further assessment and support in a non-hospital setting. The Commissioner has a strong preference for providers that can demonstrate their ability to fully mobilise the service within twelve weeks of contract award. Providers should be able to evidence a credible mobilisation plan, including arrangements for premises, workforce, governance, and operational infrastructure necessary to deliver the service from the contract commencement date. Providers who believe they are capable of delivering this service are invited to express their interest within 14 days of publication of this notice. The Commissioner will not begin identifying or assessing potential providers until after this period, in accordance with the Provider Selection Regime The contract duration is 12-months with an optional extension of a further 12-months. The anticipated service commencement date is January 2027. The contract value for the initial 12-month contract is £1,000,000 and the total contract value including the optional 12-month extension period is £2,000,000 excluding VAT This exercise is being carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.

Kent County Council, on behalf of the Kent and Medway Suicide Prevention Programme and in partnership with the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, is seeking market engagement to inform the future procurement of a Specialist Bereavement Support Service for people affected by suicide across Kent and Medway. The service will provide timely, accessible and trauma-informed emotional and practical support to individuals impacted by suicide, including family members, friends, colleagues, witnesses and professionals. The future provider will be expected to deliver a flexible countywide service through a combination of face-to-face, telephone and virtual support, working closely with health, community and voluntary sector partners. The contract is anticipated to commence on 1 April 2027 for an initial period of three years, with the option to extend for up to two further years. Kent County Council welcomes engagement from organisations interested in helping to shape the future service and deliver innovative, high-quality support for residents affected by suicide bereavement.

Provision of an integrated and comprehensive Domestic Abuse service.

Market Engagement Notice Best Start in Life: Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationships Outreach Peer Support Groups Authority: Kent County Council Dates: Note: final date will be selected depending on interest in the following options: Wednesday 24th June 09.30-10.30am - Virtual session Wednesday 1st July 09.00-10.00am - Virtual session Registration Form: Peer Support Groups: Pre-engagement event questions and registration – Fill out form https://forms.office.com/e/XnGHgZzZVh Contact: integratedteam@kent.gov.uk Kent County Council is inviting organisations to provide insight into our ambition to design a Perinatal Mental Health and Parent Infant Relationship Outreach Peer Support group programme to deliver on the Best Start in Life – Healthy Babies three-year programme in Kent. The peer support groups will be aimed at families/parents in the preconception phase, expecting a first or subsequent baby or with children aged 0-2 years who are at risk or affected by perinatal mental health/parent infant relationship concerns. The aim is for peer support groups to run in: •Thanet •Swale •Dartford •Dover •Gravesham Peer support groups would be offered to: •Black and Asian mothers •Young parents including care leavers (aged 18 to 25 years) •Expectant parents /parents of under twos living in specific areas of high need (tbc) within the districts listed above. Indicative budget: •April 2027 to March 2028 £250k •April 2028 to March 2029 £250k About the Best Start in Life - Healthy Babies Programme Link The Best Start in Life Healthy Babies programme aims are: •To provide support to parents and carers to help them nurture their babies and children and improving health and education outcomes for all •To contribute to a reduction in inequalities in health and education outcomes for babies, children and families ensuring that support provided is communicated to all parents and carers, including those facing multiple disadvantage and those who are seldom heard •To strengthen parent infant relationships and improve perinatal mental health •To build the evidence base for what works when it comes to improving health and education outcomes for babies, children and families in different delivery contexts. Market Engagement We are looking to: •gather market intelligence •build early relationships with established and new markets •develop a sustainable model which includes small voluntary sector, charities, not for profit organisations and small community interest groups •understand suppliers’ interest, scope, and skills •understand if and how the proposal could be feasible and deliverable within the financial envelope •identify how the 3-year peer support programmes can be sustained and eventually owned by the community This is an opportunity to share your ideas, highlight best practice and help shape the planning for perinatal mental health and parent infant relationship peer support outreach programme that meet this needs of the communities. Interest is welcome from a range of organisations including VCSE organisations and community groups. Those attending will also have an opportunity to provide their views via a questionnaire. KCC will analyse the findings from the questionnaire and the findings will inform model development. Important information: This engagement is just an early conversation to help shape our thinking. It isn’t a call for competition, and taking part won’t give any organisation an advantage. No commercial decisions have been made yet, and anything we share at this stage may change. If a procurement process is needed later, full details will be published in line with the procurement regulations.

Kent County Council is inviting organisations and practitioners to attend a preliminary market engagement event to help shape the future Targeted Relationships Service before a formal procurement process begins. This is not a tender—it’s an opportunity to inform the service design and understand market capability. Targeted Relationships Service is primarily girls and young women aged 10–18 who are experiencing, or at risk of, unhealthy relationships and abuse. The service will provide targeted, trauma-informed support to young people experiencing multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities. This includes early help and preventative interventions aimed at improving safety, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes. The service has been commissioned since 2012 and is a key component of the Council’s response to vulnerability, exploitation, and violence affecting girls and young women. We are particularly interested in engaging with organisations and practitioners who have expertise in: •Safeguarding and exploitation •Violence against women and girls (VAWG) •SEND inclusion and accessibility •Child Missing Education (CME) and engagement with out-of-school cohorts This event will outline the requirements of Kent County Council for the Targeted Relationships Support Service for primarily girls and young women aged 10–18 who are experiencing, or at risk of, unhealthy relationships and abuse. Workshops will be held to seek stakeholder input on the feasibility and design of this service. Monday 08th June 2026 at 13:00pm – 14:30pm Microsoft Teams Wednesday 10th June 2026 at 10:30am- 12:00pm Microsoft Teams To express your interest, ask any questions or secure a place, please email domesticabusecommissioning@kent.gov.uk with your preferred date by the 05/06/2026 . Further details will be provided upon receipt of your registration. Kent County Council intend to procure Targeted Relationships through a tender process. This procurement will be conducted in accordance with the new Procurement Act 2023. Please note this notice is not a call for competition; therefore, attendees are not expected to submit any documents. Further information relating to this procurement will be published on Central Digital Platform and the Kent Business Portal at a future date. Interested providers are advised to create a supplier profile on the Kent Business Portal to receive notifications about the future procurement opportunity, once the formal tender is launched. Contract Length; 01/06/2027 - 31/5/2030, plus potential 1 year extension to 30/5/2031 (provisional and subject to change) Contract Total Value; £925,685.52 (estimated)

The proposal is to commission an externally delivered Kent Young Carers Service which provides young carers aged 5-24 an assessment and tailored support, and information, advice and guidance that works to mitigate the disadvantages that can impact children and young people with a caring responsibility.