CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (SEND)

Local authorities commission a wide range of services for children and young people, including residential care, supported accommodation, outreach, and specialist support services.

These services are commissioned to support:

• Children’s charities and voluntary organisations
• SEND support services and advocacy groups
• Autism-focused charities and community organisations
• Young carers services
• Youth clubs and youth development organisations
• Alternative provision and education support providers
• Early intervention and prevention services
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing services for children
• Counselling and therapeutic services
• Play therapy and trauma-informed support services
• Community outreach and family support services
• Disability support organisations
• Behavioural support services
• Speech and language therapy providers
• Physiotherapy and occupational therapy services
• Short breaks and respite services
• VCSE organisations supporting vulnerable or at-risk children
• Organisations supporting children with complex needs
  

Commissioning routes vary depending on the service type, regulatory requirements, and cohort, and typically sit within children’s services procurement frameworks, DPSs, and call-off contracts.

Children and young people’s contracts are commonly delivered by:

• Children’s residential care providers
• Supported accommodation providers for care leavers
• Charities and CICs delivering youth, SEND, or early intervention services
• Organisations providing outreach, mentoring, or transition support
• Providers expanding from adult services into CYP delivery

Both regulated and non-regulated providers operate within this space, depending on the service model.

Children and young people’s services may be regulated or non-regulated, depending on the nature of the provision.

Examples include:

• Children’s residential care (regulated)
• Supported accommodation for care leavers (may be non-regulated, depending on the model)
• Outreach, mentoring, and community-based support (often non-regulated)
  

Local authorities are explicit about regulatory requirements within tender documentation.

BidElevate reviews each opportunity to confirm:

• Whether regulation applies
• Which regulatory body is relevant
• Whether the service model aligns with the requirement

This clarity is essential to eligibility and compliance.

Local authorities typically commission children and young people’s services by:

• Establishing DPSs or frameworks for specific service types
• Approving eligible providers to join
• Issuing call-off contracts or placement requests as needs arise
  

Opportunities may relate to:

• Individual placements
• Block or spot purchasing arrangements
• Building-based or dispersed services
• Specialist or cohort-specific support
  

Commissioning approaches vary by authority and risk profile.

Children and young people’s services carry heightened safeguarding and governance expectations.

Providers are expected to demonstrate:

• Appropriate registration or regulatory status where required
• Robust safeguarding and child protection arrangements
• Clear staffing, supervision, and escalation structures
• Safer recruitment processes
• Capacity aligned to the needs and risk level of the cohort
  

BidElevate assesses safeguarding readiness and operational capacity alongside eligibility, and does not progress opportunities where expectations cannot be reasonably met.