North East Legal Advisory and Representation Services Tenders & Contracts

As part of its statutory duty to investigate concerns about the fitness to practise of social workers, Social Work England may, where appropriate, require registrants to undergo a medical assessment, particularly in cases where concerns relate to a registrant's mental or physical health. As Social Work England does not possess the internal capacity to deliver these specialist services, it is seeking to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced Service Provider to work in partnership to deliver a high-quality and robust Medical Assessment Service. The appointed provider will be responsible for conducting comprehensive medical assessments and producing clear, quantifiable, evidence-based reports that determine whether a registrant's mental and/or physical health may be impaired to the extent that it could affect their fitness to practise. Experts may also be required, when necessary, to provide witness testimony in fitness to practise hearings.

Norfolk County Council requires legal services for the in-house insurance team to predominately help support the delivery of the claims service, and is re-tendering its expiring framework agreement for these services. The insurance team is a team of 12 staff led by the Head of Insurance and comprises a mixture of claims handler investigators and insurance officers with administrative support provided by the Business Support Team. Legal representation is required by the insurance team to predominately help support the delivery of the claims service. Legal representatives will need to provide a high standard of professional service advice and guidance on all matters relating to insurance claims handled by the team. Typical duties will include but not be limited to: • Provision of general legal advice • Representing the authority in litigation • Maintaining a knowledge of issues facing the authority and being prepared to offer legal opinions • Supporting the development and knowledge of the insurance team. The insurance team provide support to the Norse Group and as such require coverage across the country. Full details of the requirement can be found in the Service Specification, which forms a Schedule to the Terms and Conditions. Please note that Norfolk County Council has joined the government's Devolution Priority Programme. This process has the potential to lead to the establishment of a county combined authority for Norfolk and Suffolk, with strategic powers, headed by an elected mayor. Government has also invited participation by Norfolk in Local Government Review. This process has the potential to lead to unitary local government in Norfolk. One of these changes could happen without the other. The contract may be assigned or novated to any successor authority(ies) to Norfolk County Council or to any joint body incorporating or formed by any such successor. The County Council or a successor authority or joint body may order services on behalf of other local authorities serving any area within Norfolk's current geographical boundaries. Market engagement has not been undertaken. The Risk and Insurance Team are reprocuring an existing framework agreement and are not changing the substance of the service, and therefore there was little value in holding market engagement when a planned procurement notice and pipeline notice have already been published to give the market forewarning of the upcoming procurement.