Provision of Actors for Family Liaison Officer Training

This notice is to confirm that the Authority is launching a tender for the provision of actors to support the delivery of Family Liaison Officer training in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) are responsible for maintaining communication with a prisoner’s next of kin, including making initial contact and supporting families whilst handling sensitive discussions. In order to undertake this role, all FLOs complete a four-day training programme delivered by Prison Learning Design and Delivery (PLD&D) within HMPPS, which equips them with the skills to support family members through grief and bereavement following a prisoner’s death, and terminal illness diagnoses.

This requirement is for an external organisation to provide two professional actors across two days for each training course to portray a prisoner's next of kin, during which FLOs will be assessed on their delivery and engagement skills, bringing a sense of realism to the scenarios in order for the FLOs to prepare for real life situations.

The actors would be required to attend in-person on days 3 and 4 of the training course, with all sessions typically taking place at the Prison Service College, Newbold Revel. A minimum of one-month's notice shall be provided to the supplier for each course, although the Authority tend to plan 9-months ahead.

On the day of the assessment, actors will receive a scenario brief outlining the role of the next of kin they will portray, with profiling on characteristics such as their relationship to the prisoner, key emotions they need to portray, religion and background. There will not be a specific script, and instead actors are expected to respond and adapt to the interaction as it develops whilst remaining within the boundaries set out within the brief. Following the exercise, actors will provide feedback on the conversation with the FLO from the perspective of the next of kin, detailing how the FLO made them feel.

The actors provided must have experience in role play, simulation or scenario based acting specifically where emotionally sensitive material is involved.

The current expectation is that one course will be delivered per month, with scope for up to four additional courses per year commissioned on an ad hoc basis if required. Volumes are not guaranteed. There are typicall 5 scenario assessments each day, split evenly between the two actors. Each scneario lasts approximately 30 minutes (20 minutes for the role-play, and 10 minutes for feedback).

If you are interested in this opportunity, suppliers are strongly encouraged to familiarise themselves with the guidance on registering for and using the Central Digital Platform (CDP), available via Information and guidance for suppliers - GOV.UK.

Full tender documentation and submission instructions will be available when the Invitation to Tender (ITT) is formally launched. The Authority will assess all Tenders in order to identify the Supplier which has submitted the Most Advantageous Tender. Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) means the Tender that offers the best value for money based on the evaluation assessment criteria. The assessment criteria chosen to determine the MAT is Price Per Quality Point (PPQP).