SCC SS Residential Parenting Assessments

This is a notice for social and specific services in accordance with Directive 2014/24/EU of the EuropeanParliament of the Council Article 74 Surrey County Council is seeking to establish a framework agreement for the provision of residential parenting assessments.

Residential parenting assessments conducted in residential family centres are intended to provide robust, fair and evidence based assessments of parenting skills and capability for local authorities and the courts.

Assessments are undertaken in accordance with the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families and should take into account: a child’s developmental needs; the capacity of the parents to support their child’s development and respond appropriately to their needs; and wider family and environmental factors that may impact on the child’s development and parenting capacity.

Changes in the Public Law outline has reaffirmed expectations on all local authorities to ensure that the plans for children are clear before applications are made to court.

The impact of this has been the expectation that the assessments are to be comprehensive, of high standard, and where appropriate to be completed in advance of court and once in court the matter is concluded within 26 weeks.

The Framework is being established to support this.

The Framework will consist of two (2) lots based on geography, with services commissioned through direct award based on 1) availability, 2) matching and 3) cost.