Childcare Places – Invitation to Tender
4 Lots. Lot 1: Early Years Education; Lot 2: Flying Start childcare.
United Kingdom-Hengoed: Primary education services
2019/S 129-317445
Social and other specific services – public contracts
Contract notice
Services
Directive 2014/24/EU
Section I: Contracting authority
I.1)Name and addresses
Penallta House, Tredomen Park, Ystrad Mynach
Hengoed
CF82 7PG
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1443863161
E-mail: sellwhl@caerphilly.gov.uk
Fax: +44 1443863167
NUTS code: UKL16
Address of the buyer profile: https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA0272
I.3)Communication
I.4)Type of the contracting authority
I.5)Main activity
Section II: Object
II.1.1)Title:
Delivery of Childcare
II.1.2)Main CPV code
II.1.3)Type of contract
II.1.4)Short description:
Caerphilly CBC (Council) has established an arrangement to deliver childcare places, within the non-maintained sector. For the purpose of this arrangement, the term ‘childcare provision’ will be used for the non-maintained sector including Playgroups, Cylchoedd Meithrin, Day Nurseries, Childminders, Out of School provision in both Welsh medium and English medium, including Wrap around, before and after school and Holiday provision. In line with the original terms and conditions of the arrangement The Council has re opened the arrangement for any new childcare providers to apply to join or existing childcare providers to apply for further lots within the arrangement as set out within the ITT. Service providers may bid for 1 or multiple lots.
The four (4) lots are detailed below:
Lot 1: Early Years Education;
Lot 2: Flying Start childcare;
Lot 3: Social Services Childcare Placements;
Lot 4: Assisted and Supported Places.
II.1.6)Information about lots
II.2.1)Title:
Flying Start
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
Within the boundaries of CCBC.
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
The purpose of the flying start programme is to support families to give children the best start in life; offer improved child opportunities through high quality registered childcare and universal parenting support programmes, such as, early language development; and improve engagement of families with flying start opportunities by offering local services based within flying start communities. The flying start programme is Welsh Government funded.
The flying start childcare provision will be provided for children who live in the flying start postcode catchment areas from the term after their second birthday until the term of their third birthday, to enable smooth transition into their rising 3 place in early years education.
Welsh Government Flying Start Guidance states that childcare is required to run 5 days for 2.5 hours a day for 39 weeks a year (term time) with some Council and setting discretion for flexibility where parents are attending training or working. Settings should be able to offer some flexibility for no more than 2 sessions per day, but this arrangement is exceptional and must be agreed by the Council in advance of the offer being made to the family. Any arrangements made without prior Council approval of placement, will be the responsibility of the setting to finance.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
II.2.1)Title:
Social Services Placements
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
The Council’s Children’s Social Services Division safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable children and young people supporting access to preventative services and interventions for children on the Child Protection Register and children with disabilities/additional needs under the Social Services and Well-being Act 2014.
The Children’s Social Services Childcare Placements will be provided for children and young people between the ages of 0 and 18, who have been appropriately assessed.
Childcare placements supported under this arrangement will take place in the Child-minder’s home or within a childcare setting, not in the child’s home. Placements made by Children’s Social Services with a childcare provider may be short term, from 2 hours to 23 hours, on regular or irregular days and may include overnight stays and may take place at weekends. No placement may extend beyond 23 hours of continuous care. Social services placements may be required at short notice. Child-minders will be required to be available for all days and times the service is operational where it is reasonably practical. Full details are in the tender specification.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
II.2.1)Title:
Assisted and Supported Places
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
Within the boundaries of CCBC.
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
The early years service area of the Council operates an assisted places scheme where children who have emerging or already identified additional needs are referred for a 10-week placement into a childcare setting. The purpose of the scheme is to support the improvement in the welfare or quality of life of the child by providing access to quality childcare placements to support a child’s development and to address a child’s needs.
An additional element of Lot 4 is the supported places scheme. Community based childcare settings can be funded to employ an extra member of staff to support children who require additional support in order to attend. The Funding will be part of the assisted places scheme identified by a multi agency team of professionals including Education Psychology, i.e. ISCAN. Children accessing this scheme will not necessarily be accessing an Assisted Place, but will have to be observed and assessed by Council officers to determine the need and level of support required.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
II.2.1)Title:
Early Years Education
II.2.2)Additional CPV code(s)
II.2.3)Place of performance
Within the boundaries of CCBC.
II.2.4)Description of the procurement:
In accordance with Welsh Government guidance, Caerphilly County Borough Council offers every child, whose parent want it, a free part-time early years education place within an approved setting, from the term following their third birthday.
An approved setting could be a ‘maintained’ setting, i.e. a nursery class in a school, or a ‘non-maintained’ setting, which could be an English or Welsh medium playgroup, a private day nursery or a childminder who is part of a quality assured childminding system. All non-maintained settings must be named in the Council’s Early Years Plan, and must therefore be registered with the Councils Early Years Service to offer Early Years Education. This service is funded by the Welsh Government.
Settings are to provide a minimum of 10 hours of education provision over 4-5 days per week, for 26 weeks a year (spring and summer terms), for no more than 1 session per day in respect of any one child.
II.2.13)Information about European Union funds
Section III: Legal, economic, financial and technical information
III.1.4)Objective rules and criteria for participation
The procurement process for this arrangement shall follow a 2-stage, open procedure.
Stage 1: Selection Stage — consists of compliance, pass/fail and scored questions. Candidates are required to comply with the compliance questions, pass all pass/fail questions and achieve the minimum score of 6 per question for any scored question to proceed to the specification response stage.
Stage 2: Award Stage — will be evaluated using the Most Economical Advantageous Tender (MEAT) criterion, structured as 100 % Quality. Service providers are required to attain a minimum score of 6 per tender response question.
All lots are subject to the Council successfully attaining funding or unchanged level of funding available each financial year.
Being awarded to the arrangement does not guarantee any business.
Section IV: Procedure
IV.1.1)Form of procedure
IV.1.11)Main features of the award procedure:
Full details can be found in the tender document.
IV.2.2)Time limit for receipt of tenders or requests to participate / Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest
IV.2.4)Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted:
Section VI: Complementary information
VI.2)Information about electronic workflows
VI.3)Additional information:
This arrangement is being tendered under the Public Contracts Regulation 2015, Schedule 3, falling within Regulation 74-77, otherwise known as the light touch regime. The tender is an open procurement procedure and has been advertised in accordance with EU.
In line with the original ITT the Council reserves the right to open up the arrangement for new applications if the Council has capacity issues. This shall include existing settings applying for additional lots or new settings wishing to apply. This notice is to advise the market that the opportunity has been re opened and is now live. The same evaluation process shall take place for any additional providers to join.
Future orders/placements:
All settings that meet the stated criteria of the selection stage and the award stage, shall be subject to pre-delivery checks by their childcare officer/social services officer.
All settings that satisfy the pre-delivery checks shall then be considered for any future orders/placements of children under the arrangement. Full details can be found in the ITT.
The arrangement period is from the 1.4.2018 — 31.3.2021 with the option to extend for up to a further period of twenty four (24) months.
Note: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales website at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=93696
(WA Ref:93696)
The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia.
VI.4.1)Review body
Penallta House, Tredomen Park, Ystrad Mynach
Hengoed
CF82 7PG
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 1443863161
Fax: +44 1443863167Internet address: www.caerphilly.gov.uk
VI.5)Date of dispatch of this notice: