UK Public Sector Contracts & Tenders

To provide Translation and Transcription services to Social Work England for our Fitness to Practise cases. Value is £90,000 and services will be supplied electronically.

Social Work England intends to procure a suitably qualified and experienced training provider to design, deliver and continuously improve a comprehensive training programme for Adjudicators, Legal Advisers (Partners) and Case Examiners involved in Fitness to Practise (FtP) decision-making. The programme will support newly appointed decision-makers through mandatory induction training and provide ongoing annual refresher training for existing cohorts, ensuring consistency, legal soundness and quality across all FtP decisions. The appointed provider will be required to develop, implement and deliver training covering the statutory and regulatory framework applicable to Social Work England's adjudication and case examination functions. This includes but is not limited to: the Fitness to Practise Rules 2019 (as amended), the Social Workers Regulations 2018 (as amended), relevant regulatory case law, approaches to impairment, preliminary issues, procedural fairness, managing unrepresented registrants, avoiding bias, the realistic prospect test, and drafting clear and reasoned decisions. The training must incorporate interactive and practice-based learning, with anonymised examples where appropriate. Training for FtP Partners will be delivered remotely. Training for Case Examiners will be delivered through a blend of remote, hybrid or in-person sessions, including an initial two-day programme. The contract includes the development of webinars, e-learning modules, virtual workshops, peer-led learning forums and reflective practice groups to broaden access through Social Work England's digital learning platform. All training must incorporate principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, including relevant legal duties, unconscious bias mitigation and cultural competence. The provider will collaborate closely with Social Work England's Fitness to Practise, Legal and ED&I teams in planning, reviewing and refining the training offer. They will also be responsible for supplying training materials, pre-reading, recordings and an annual programme of delivery. Ongoing evaluation and quarterly performance reporting will be required, alongside participation in continuous improvement activity informed by appeals, Professional Standards Authority learning and internal quality assurance. The initial contract term will be three years, with the option to extend for a further two years.

Social Work England are looking for a cleaning and a general maintenance provider who can deliver consistent, high-quality service, maintain a safe and healthy work environment, and provide environmentally friendly cleaning and maintenance solutions. Daily cleaning services will be required with after-hours cleaning preferred to minimise disruption to office staff. Deep cleaning services will be scheduled with prior notification given. Three qualified cleaning personals are required to work Monday to Friday with variable hours to be agreed upon contract implementation. The scope of work will include but not limited to: - Daily cleaning, - Waste disposal, - Carpet cleaning, - Window washing, - Periodic deep cleaning, - Sanitation of high-traffic area. Cleaning personnel will be required to wear the necessary PPE and follow the health and safety guidelines when undertaking their duties.

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.

Building on phases 1 and 2 of the Change the Script campaign, which reached 52 million people, this third phase tackles low public respect and misconceptions about social work's professional status. Market research after phase 2 showed significant positive shifts in perceptions, including a 279% increase in people recognising that social workers empower others. This phase will spotlight social workers in settings not typically associated with the profession, such as hospitals, demonstrating social work's vital role across society. The campaign objective is to increase public understanding, recognition and trust of social work as a regulated profession, aligning with Social Work England's strategic aims to maintain public confidence. While not directly a recruitment or retention campaign, by shifting perceptions the initiative creates a more positive environment that may influence career consideration and professional retention. Using GCS evaluation methodology and the bi-annual social work survey, the campaign will measure shifts in public understanding and professional sentiment.

Social Work England intends to procure a suitably qualified and experienced training provider to design, deliver and continuously improve a comprehensive training programme for Adjudicators, Legal Advisers (Partners) and Case Examiners involved in Fitness to Practise (FtP) decision-making. The programme will support newly appointed decision-makers through mandatory induction training and provide ongoing annual refresher training for existing cohorts, ensuring consistency, legal soundness and quality across all FtP decisions. The appointed provider will be required to develop, implement and deliver training covering the statutory and regulatory framework applicable to Social Work England's adjudication and case examination functions. This includes but is not limited to: the Fitness to Practise Rules 2019 (as amended), the Social Workers Regulations 2018 (as amended), relevant regulatory case law, approaches to impairment, preliminary issues, procedural fairness, managing unrepresented registrants, avoiding bias, the realistic prospect test, and drafting clear and reasoned decisions. The training must incorporate interactive and practice-based learning, with anonymised examples where appropriate. Training for FtP Partners will be delivered remotely. Training for Case Examiners will be delivered through a blend of remote, hybrid or in-person sessions, including an initial two-day programme. The contract includes the development of webinars, e-learning modules, virtual workshops, peer-led learning forums and reflective practice groups to broaden access through Social Work England's digital learning platform. All training must incorporate principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, including relevant legal duties, unconscious bias mitigation and cultural competence. The provider will collaborate closely with Social Work England's Fitness to Practise, Legal and ED&I teams in planning, reviewing and refining the training offer. They will also be responsible for supplying training materials, pre-reading, recordings and an annual programme of delivery. Ongoing evaluation and quarterly performance reporting will be required, alongside participation in continuous improvement activity informed by appeals, Professional Standards Authority learning and internal quality assurance. The initial contract term will be three years, with the option to extend for a further two years.

Provision of BSL services for Fitness to Practise reports. A provision of £50,000 has been made for this requirement due to bespoke/specialist services needed.