Community equipment enables people who are less mobile or who require assistance to live safely and independently at home. This includes a wide range of items-from simple living aids such as wheeled walkers, raised toilet seats and commodes, to more complex equipment such as profiling beds, hoists and specialised seating.
This is a loan‑based community equipment service. Equipment is provided to individuals for short‑ or long‑term use, depending on assessed need, and is collected, refurbished, recycled or replaced when no longer required. The Provider will therefore be responsible for the full lifecycle of loaned equipment, including delivery, installation, maintenance, repair, collection and reissue.
The timely provision of community equipment supports safe discharge from hospital, prevents avoidable admissions, and helps people remain independent in their own homes for longer. Effective equipment provision can also reduce or delay the need for more intensive care and support and plays an important role in supporting Carers to carry out their caring responsibilities safely.
Cheshire West will hold the contract and pay all invoices. Cheshire East Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) will also call off the equipment but will not sign the contract or make direct payments. They will form part of the evaluation panel - please note that the UK4 had errors that wouldn't allow me to add the ICB in to state they are users of the contracts and evaluators and potentially contract managers. This is a demand based contract so no guarantee of volumes or product types. The provider must be able to supply all listed items and specials where required.
Cheshire West and Chester CouncilNorth WestWAC-594587
Brokerage Service to manage and oversee access to the Short Breaks Individual Payments service and participation into universal services
Overview
A single provider will be commissioned to deliver two complementary services to increase access, inclusion, choice, and flexibility for children and young people with SEND and their families to access activities in the community.
A) Practical Support and Inclusion: will provide time limited, targeted support to enable children and young people with SEND to access, participate in, and sustain involvement in universal and mainstream community activities. The service will reduce barriers to participation and build confidence, skills, and independence through practical, emotional, and social support before, during, and after activities. Providers will also work with universal services to support reasonable adjustments and promote inclusive practice, including embedding the Department for Education's Creating Inclusive Provision toolkit.
Target Group
• Children and young people with SEND aged 0-18
• Resident in Cheshire West and Chester
• Families requiring individualised support to access activities participation
Service delivery
Preparation and planning
• Meet with the family ahead of the activity to understand individual needs, interests, triggers, and preferred support strategies
• Liaise with activity providers to share relevant information and agree reasonable adjustments to support inclusion
• Support the child or young person to understand what to expect from the activity, including routines, environments, and social expectations
Activity delivery
• Deliver time limited, targeted practical support to enable children and young people with SEND to access, participate in, and sustain involvement in universal and mainstream community activities.
• Support children and young people before activities to prepare them for participation, including building understanding, confidence, and readiness.
• Provide in activity support to reduce barriers to participation, promote inclusion, and enable meaningful engagement in a safe and supportive way.
• Offer post activity support to reflect on experiences, reinforce learning, and build confidence for future participation.
• Use practical, emotional, and social support strategies tailored to individual needs, interests, and abilities.
• Promote the development of independence, confidence, and life skills, with support gradually reduced where appropriate.
• Ensure support is person centred and outcomes focused, enabling children and young people to build sustainable participation in community activities.
In-activity support
• Provide hands-on support during activities to help the child or young person settle, engage, and participate alongside peers
• Use strategies such as modelling, prompting, reassurance, and graded encouragement to support social interaction, communication, and emotional regulation
• Act as a bridge between the child or young person and the activity provider to support positive engagement and inclusion
• Liaise with activity providers to share relevant information and agree reasonable adjustments to support inclusion
Cheshire West and Chester CouncilNorth WestWAC-598112
Cheshire West and Chester Council want to make sure that families have access to meaningful and supportive short breaks services.
Objectives
• Support carers with their caring responsibilities
• Ensure services are outcome focused and, where appropriate, link into supporting a child or young person's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan)
• Ensure families are in control of how they use short breaks and how to access them
• Prioritise the child/young person and parent/carer experience and perspective when designing the services delivered and how they are accessed
• Offer disabled children and young people the opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends and reduce loneliness
• Reduce escalation to more statutory services i.e. services provided by the local authority which could include social services
• Involve, children, young people and their families in the decision-making process
• Maximise the use of specialist resources and universal services within communities
• Ensure staff are qualified and skilled to deliver safe and high-quality services
• Offer a range of short breaks to support the needs of carers of children/young people with SEND with the right mix of services which are person-centred and respond to family's needs
• Are fairly accessed; priority will be for those who need it most and eligibility for services will be clear and transparent
The benefits of Short Breaks
Short Breaks should provide a diverse range of services that offer children and young people with SEND meaningful and enjoyable experiences that support their personal growth and development, while also giving their primary carers valuable time to rest and recharge.
These breaks can take place in a child's home, the home of an approved carer, or in community settings such as local sports clubs. Depending on a child or young person's eligibility, needs, and interests, a Short Break might range from a few hours, like attending a trampolining session, to several days for those requiring more intensive care and support.
In Cheshire West and Chester, every Short Break opportunity should enable children and young people to enjoy themselves, build friendships, and develop confidence, independence, and the social and emotional skills needed for a successful transition to adulthood. For families, Short Breaks also offer vital time for parents, carers, and siblings to enjoy time for themselves.
Cheshire West and Chester CouncilNorth West19 Jun 2026WAC-599606
View 3-notice timelineLatest notice released 19 Jun 2026
Local GovernmentTender
Community Home First
The Community Home First service is designed to help support this timely discharge of Pathway 0 and Pathway 1 patients from Hospital and into their usual place of residence within Cheshire West and Chester.
It will be delivered through the provision of Community Sector co-ordinators (Pathfinders) integrated within the hospital's discharge team, providing a triage and coordination service to the Community and Voluntary sector and volunteer support.
The role of the Pathfinders will be to essentially unblock routes out of hospital for and ensure people go home with a wider voluntary sector offer. They will then be integral to a community-based offer that will assist people in the first few weeks of their hospital discharge to ensure they are appropriately supported to recover at home.
Cheshire West and Chester Council22 Jun 2026WAC-604200
