0762 Specialist Adoption and SGO Support Services Framework Re-Opening

Essex(ECC), Thurrock and Suffolk (SCC) County Council are seeking to secure a range of good quality providers to deliver support services to adoptive and SGO families. This is to meet statutory duties to provide adoption and SGO support services. The overarching aims of creating a framework are:

• to promote sufficiency and capacity of quality services across Essex, Thurrock and Suffolk local • to improve the stability, resilience and wellbeing of adoptive and SGO families and meet their therapeutic needs • to have a compliant mechanism to purchase a variety of specialist therapeutic services • To use funding available for these services including the Adoption Support Fund as effectively and efficiently as possible

Scope of the services

Adopted children and those subject to a Special Guardianship Order often have moderate to complex mental health and emotional well-being needs. Therapeutic interventions and assessments are required to assist both children and adults to deal with the long-term effects of what abuse and trauma provide. All services commissioned to provide adoption and SGO support and assessment will meet the following outcomes:

• Reduction and/or prevention of adoption and Special Guardianship Order placement disruptions and children re-entering care. • Enable children and families affected by adoption or Special Guardianship Orders to achieve/maintain stability and reach their full potential as individuals and as family groups. • Adoptive and Special Guardianship Order families to enjoy strong and stable family relationships. • Adoptive and Special Guardianship Order families are resilient and have the skills and knowledge to support themselves and each other. Ensure that the most cost efficient and effective services can be supplied to families.

This is a framework re-opening.