Experts by Experience (Learning Disabilities)

Market Testing – Experts by Experience services
1. Overview
Camden Council is reviewing its Experts by Experience contract for people with learning disabilities, which is due to expire in October 2026, with a view to deciding whether and how to recommission this service.

This service is separate from the range of advocacy, welfare advice, and support services in Camden.

2. Details of the service
Our Experts by Experience service is a ‘speaking up’ service which aims to deliver personalised support that empowers people with learning disabilities to influence the planning, development and evaluation of relevant local services. This service employs a full-time manager and up to seven experts by experience (people with learning disabilities), working alongside members and volunteers with learning disabilities, to meet the outcomes stated below:
• Improved ability to speak up for themselves and to have their voice heard.
• Improved partnership working between citizens and the Council to ensure services and policies are coproduced with people who use the services.
• Improved awareness of health and social care services available to people with learning disabilities with the view of leading to greater take up of these services.
• Improved awareness of learning disabilities across the Camden community with a particular focus on health and social care services, with improved access and reasonable adjustments.
• Improved services and policies as a result of input from people with a learning disability.

To achieve its intended outcomes, the service works in close collaboration with commissioners and local partners. They actively engage people with learning disabilities from diverse backgrounds and identities to plan, design and evaluate existing and new services, and influence key issues and decisions in the borough to shape health and social care services. This involves activities such as co-producing quarterly Learning Disability Partnership meetings; arranging and promoting speaking up groups for a range of topics chosen by people with learning disabilities; gathering feedback to inform quality assurance of local commissioned LD services; forming part of procurement panels; and interview panel for recruitment of senior roles in Adult Social Care.

The indicative budget for the Experts by Experience service for people with LD is £65,000-70,000 per year and a contract duration of 3+2 (5 years in total) is currently being considered. Commissioners are now also considering options for 'speaking up' and coproduction models that intersect across traditional service boundaries of learning disabilities, autism, and mental health

3. Market testing
The Council wishes to undertake market engagement in relation to the possible re-commissioning of this service, and therefore would welcome the views of providers on the questions set out below.
Interested parties will not be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this soft market testing and a response to this notice does not guarantee any invitation to participate in any future public procurement process that the Council may conduct.
This notice does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services for the Council and the Council is not bound to accept any proposals offered. The Council is not liable for any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any party participating in the soft market testing exercise. Any procurement of any services by the Council in due course will be carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023.

Any responses provided will not be treated as commercially confidential, unless expressed by the providing party, and may be used by the Council in the final service specifications used for the contracts, but no organisation will be individually identified.

We would like to receive feedback on the proposed service and any other comments that you may have. Organisations will have the opportunity to ask clarification questions on the specification should a procurement process be undertaken.

Following this market testing exercise the Council may run a commissioning exercise, which would likely include the following key stages:

4. Indicative timeframe
Review of the current model and engagement with market and residents: August 2025 – March 2026
Publication of Contract Notice and ITT documentation: April 2026
Deadline for tender responses: Late May 2026
Presentation and negotiation period (if required): Early June 2026
Contract award: July 2026
Commencement Date of Contract: 1st November 2026

5. General Information
Following this market testing exercise Camden Council will consider options for developing the provision in question.