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Staffordshire County Council is undertaking Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) to inform the future recommissioning of its Provision of Children's Short Breaks Activities and Support (known internally as Aiming High SEND Short Breaks Service), currently expected to commence from April 2027.
The Council wishes to engage with current and potential providers to better understand market capacity, capability, innovation, and potential delivery models for providing high-quality short breaks and support opportunities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families across Staffordshire.
The Aiming High programme forms part of Staffordshire's wider short breaks offer and aims to:
The Council is seeking feedback from organisations capable of delivering inclusive, high-quality, outcome-focused services and activities for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 years.
Providers should have a thorough understanding of, and be able to operate in accordance with, relevant legislation, statutory guidance and local policies, including:
The future service is expected to include a range of accessible and inclusive short break opportunities that are:
| Lot | Title | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lot 1 | — |
The Council is particularly interested in understanding market capacity to support children and young people with more complex disabilities and higher levels of need, including those who may require:
As part of this engagement, the Council is exploring whether future arrangements could include:
Community-based short break opportunities for children and young people with lower to moderate support needs.
A more specialist strand of provision for children and young people with higher levels of need who may require additional support, specialist expertise, enhanced staffing levels or tailored approaches to participation.
The Council is also interested in receiving feedback on potential coordinated delivery models. This may include arrangements where a lead organisation supports the planning, organisation and coordination of a network of providers and may undertake activities such as:
Accordingly, the Council would particularly welcome engagement from organisations that may be interested in:
The Council is especially keen to hear from providers able to deliver services in rural and underserved areas of Staffordshire and those with experience of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.
This Preliminary Market Engagement exercise is intended solely to inform future commissioning arrangements. No final decisions have been made regarding service design, delivery model, contract structure or procurement approach.