Childrens Support Framework

The London Borough of Hackney’s Children and Families service is seeking to engage with organisations across the voluntary, community, and independent sectors in preparation for the forthcoming Support Services Framework for children, young people, and families.
The framework will deliver time-limited, outcome-focused interventions that help sustain safe family arrangements, prevent escalation into care, and improve wellbeing and independence. It is a structured, transparent and flexible commissioning model that ensures consistency, quality, and value for money across Hackney’s Children and Families Service.
We are looking for providers who will work in partnership with the Local Authority to embed Systemic, Trauma Informed and Anti Racist Practice within their service delivery, promoting psychological safety, inclusion and collaboration with children and families. Through this framework, Hackney is focused on driving up quality and improving outcomes, supported by robust contract management, performance monitoring and reporting. This approach will strengthen accountability, support continuous improvement and ensure measurable impact in line with Hackney’s statutory duties under the Children Act 1989, Children and Families Act 2014 and Equality Act 2010.

The Support Services Framework will be divided into four Lots:
Lot 1: Positive / Structured Activities – one-to-one support sessions to promote confidence, participation, and emotional wellbeing. These support workers will work directly with children and young people (and their families if appropriate) to support them in the home or out in the community to engage in positive or structured activities.

Lot 2: Specialist mentoring support - This lot offers access to providers delivering targeted mentoring and support for children and young people. This service, staffed by specialist trained/experienced personnel, will collaborate with a child or young person's existing network to achieve specific, measurable goals.

Lot 3: Community Based Parenting Assessments–Community-based family assessments or sometimes referred to as “reverse residential parenting assessments” are conducted when local authorities need to assess parenting capacity and family functioning for safeguarding or court proceedings. Often court-ordered, these assessments, including reverse residential parenting assessments at home, offer an intensive community-based alternative to residential units, fulfilling statutory duties or judicial directions.

Lot 4: Crisis Intervention and Specialist Support – rapid, intensive responses for children and families experiencing acute need or risk. For example, nurses, restraint trained supported workers


The closing date for expressions of interest is Monday 17th November 2025 at 5pm.
Interested organisations are invited to register via the messaging function on the portal or by emailing Esther.Fatoba@hackney.gov.uk with the subject line “Support Services Framework – Market Engagement”. Please complete the attached short survey to register your interest by Monday 17th November.