Using the SAF to assist with writing a tender

Transcription

1 MLA Self Assessment Framework Working with Children and Young People Using the SAF to assist with writing a tender Commissioning is the strategic activity of identifying local needs, planning on how to best meet them, buying in and delivering services, and reviewing the impact this has on what may (or may not) need to be commissioned in the future. The commissioning process is used by the public, private and third sector to fund services. Tendering is the process by which organisations respond to what s needed by the commissioning body through submitting a written offer to provide the service. The commissioning organisation will send out an Invitation to Tender and organisations will respond by submitting a tender. When writing a tender in response to an Invitation To Tender (ITT), the SAF can be used to identify: The organisational skills that are being looked for in the ITT that relate to working with children and young people The knowledge and expertise that exists within the orgnaisation that relates to working with children and young people and is relevant to the ITT The SAF can also ensure that the tender uses language that is relevant across the children s workforce sector and local authority The following is an example of an ITT for working with young people around a specific theme. This is based on a real ITT although the organisational specifics have been removed. The appropriate areas of expertise from the Self Assessment Framework have been detailed within relevant sections of the ITT. This information can assist when writing a tender to ensure that relevant information is included along with the use of appropriate language.

2 Example Invitation to tender Invitation to Tender for Delivery of a Peer Education project to tackle Youth Crime Submission of Tenders due: XXXX 1.2 Background Tackling youth crime is a local priority. Since 2006 this region has demonstrated considerable progress and innovation in its approach to addressing youth crime. Lessons learnt have been utilised in conjunction with a range of data and research drawn to support the development of the Regional Youth Crime Reduction Strategy (YCRS) This strategy sets out our regions vision To support young people in making the right decisions away from crime and anti-social behaviour and to stop those already in the criminal justice system from reoffending. To deliver a sustainable reduction in youth offending, support must continue to both address the risk factors experienced by young people and, through universal and targeted service delivery, enhance the protective factors. To accomplish this, the YCRS has identified four strategic priorities. 1. Involving young people Young people offer the solution to many of the challenges of youth crime. It is therefore important to engage them in developing the way in which services are delivered. 2. Early identification and information sharing Early identification and good information sharing systems are important to reducing youth crime. Our region is currently developing ways of identifying those young people who most need support to stop them from offending, with effective interventions at every stage, as identified below. 3. Evidence-based practice evidence shows that working with the whole family is the most effective way of impacting on change. Our region is therefore committed to developing an assertive outreach approach to working with families in their own environment to address multiple issues through a systemic family based approach. 4. Effective performance systems delivery of interventions will be evidenced based outcome focused and informed by the range of factors. Programmes and interventions will therefore be monitored and evaluated through a range of robust performance systems. This Invitation to Tender focuses on Involving Young People and preventing first time offences and re-offending through a Peer Education Project within a locally based organisation. 1.3 Budget The budget for this Invitation to Tender is 170, Specification of Requirements 2.1. Overview

3 The contract requires the development of one peer education project within a locally based organisation to deliver workshops, seminars and creative activities with young people around gang involvement, knife crime and how to stay safe. The project is to be delivered in informal and formal educational and youth settings as determined through close working with the Police, YOT, Learning Trust, Youth Service, Community Safety and other local community organisations. (Integrated & multi agency working - Skills in partnership working; Team working) Drawing on best practice from elsewhere (Information sharing skills in information handling), the project will deliver workshops and seminars to young people around gang involvement and knife crime and how to stay safe. (Effective communication & engagement body language; listening; empathy; presentation skills; Safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child skills in behaviour management). The workshops and seminars should achieve clear measurable recorded or accredited outcomes which are appropriate to the setting, the young people engaged and the duration of the activity. (Safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child recording & reporting skills) Bids will be considered from one organisation or a consortium The Trainee Peer Educators To ensure that this peer education project meets local needs and addresses local issues, the contracted organisation will be required to recruit, employ and support four young people as Trainee Peer Educators. These young people should be year old NEET young people from our region, who have previously been involved with gang and criminal activity and have been subject to a youth justice disposal. The agencies referred to above, whose clients would participate in the peer education project, would be involved in the recruitment of the trainees. (Integrated & multi agency working understanding roles and responsibilities when working with children; knowledge of organisations working with children; understanding of when to make queries) 2.3. Management and Support of Peer Educators The contracted organisation will need to offer management support and mentoring to the trainees to help them design, develop and deliver the peer education programme to young people in informal and formal settings. (Safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child skills in behaviour management; understanding of issues of conflict and how to respond Effective communication & engagement - working with people & groups; understanding hard to reach groups; skills for developing interpretative resources for learning; Information sharing skills in engagement; Integrated working knowledge and understanding of professional and personal development planning, work based reviews, self assessment and reflection) The organisation will, primarily through the Peer Education Manager, be required to support the trainee peer educators fully through intensive management support and mentoring. The trainees who are recruited are expected to be supported to access formal training which supports their career development. (Integrated working knowledge of organisations working with children; skills in partnership working) Child & young person development understanding of how children and young people develop) The organisation will need to employ strategies to maximise retention of the trainee peer educators. For example: setting out clear selection criteria

4 ensuring there is a structured induction and probationary period during which suitability can be assessed allowing opportunities for backfill at the early stages if there are early leavers structured management and mentoring throughout (Supporting transitions understanding of the social factors affecting hard to reach groups Effective communication & engagement; negotiation & consultation skills; working with people & groups) 2.4. Exit strategies for the Trainee Peer Educators The organisation will be required to develop a detailed exit strategy for the service and the trainee peer educators, and assess whether they could be employed in a self sustaining unit which meets a local need or be supported into employment. As part of their exit strategy each trainee should follow a personalised development plan, devised by the Peer Education Manager, which identifies their needs and includes mentoring, careers advice, personal advice and guidance. (Integrated & multi agency working knowledge and understanding of professional and personal development planning, work based reviews, self assessment and reflection. Information sharing skills in engagement; respect for children, young people and their family or carer) Deliverables 4 young people recruited, supported and employed, gaining an apprenticeship or other formal qualification A peer education programme delivered to a minimum of XXX young people 20 events over the which deliver a measurable recorded outcome for attendees (leading to the recorded outcomes) and 3 programmes of more sustained activity for 20 people (leading to the accredited outcomes) A success rate 50% for accredited and 60% for recorded outcomes An exit strategy developed for the service and for the trainees A recorded outcome is achievement of a goal that has been set, or having made a noticeable, recorded improvement in a particular skill or personal quality such as self esteem. (Effective communication & engagement consultation and negotiation skills; ) An accredited outcome is achievement of a nationally validated and accredited qualification, or having completed an accredited course. (Integrated & multi agency working 2.7. Outcomes 4 young people involved in peer education gain a greater understanding of gang involvement and how to stay safe 1 locally developed peer education project developed as a resource for local agencies Better links between young people and the statutory sector on issues relating to youth crime 3. Statement of Approach Having reference to the information set out in Section 2, your formal offer should address the following headings. Please be aware that these headings will form the assessment criteria against which bids will be assessed.

5 3.1 Statement of Expertise and Credentials Experience and track record (18 points) Your experience and track record in frontline work with young offenders and ex offenders (this is double weighted and worth 6 points) (Supporting transitions understanding of the social factors affecting hard to reach groups) Your experience of delivering peer education projects which lead to recorded or accredited outcomes for participants Your experience of delivering activities which support progression of young people who are not in education and employment (Child & young person development - skills in developing interpretive resources for differing development needs; knowledge of learning development and learning styles) Your experience of working with cross sector partnerships to develop activities within the youth justice field (Integrated & multi agency working knowledge of organisations that work with children) At least two appropriate referees for whom you have undertaken work with young offenders previously. 3.2 Statement of Local Knowledge (15 points) Organisations should provide the following information in support of their proposal: Your understanding of local needs and strategies in relation to supporting young people Your understanding of our regions strategies, partnerships and protocols which support youth crime reduction (Safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child knowledge of relevant legislation, knowledge and understanding of the organisation s Child Protection Policy and safeguarding procedures) Your understanding of the key agencies delivering our regions youth crime reduction strategies, in the statutory and third sector, and of how they work together Your understanding of our regions communities, and specifically children and young people, and of the social, economic and cultural barriers which they might face (Supporting transitions understanding of the social factors affecting hard to reach groups) 3.3 Design and delivery of the programme (18 points) Organisations should provide a detailed plan of how they will meet all points in the specification outlined in 2. This should cover: Your proposed strategy for recruiting the Trainee Peer Educators as set out in Your approach to offering management support and mentoring and how to support retention to the trainees as set out in Your proposed approach to working with the Trainee Peer Educators on their exit strategy from the programme as set out in 2.4 (Effective communication & engagement presentation skills Information sharing knowledge of your own role and responsibilities when working with children and young people)

6 3.3.4 Details of how you will deliver the delivery requirements and outcomes set out in the A project plan setting out key milestones and actions to meet all the requirements of the specification set out in section Identification of all risks or problems to delivering the specification set out in section 2 and how you will address these (safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child knowledge of risk assessment) 3.4 Management Arrangements (9 points) Organisations should provide the following information in their statement of approach: Proposed project management arrangements, including allocation of staff to specified roles (where known) or proposed recruitment (Information sharing knowledge of your own role and responsibilities when working with children and young people) Job descriptions and person specifications for specified roles. (Use the SAF to support the writing of job descriptions that relate to working with children and young people) CV's of each team member involved in the project specifying the capacity in which they will be involved and relevant experience. Where existing staff are to be allocated to specified roles CVs should address the relevant job description and person specification. CRB reference number should be provided for any staff involved in this project who will be in direct contact with children and young (please note, if your organisation is successful copies of all CRB checks for both paid staff and volunteers must be submitted prior to commencement of delivery) (Safeguarding & promoting the welfare of the child knowledge of relevant legislation; knowledge & understanding of the organisation s Child Protection Policy and safeguarding procedures) 3.8 Equal Opportunities A statement confirming either that no finding of unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, disability, sexuality or religion has been made against your firm by any court or employment tribunal in the last three years, or that if such a finding had been made, the details of that finding, together with the remedial action instated. End of Example Invitation to Tender Document