Provision of Enhanced Residential Services for (Primarily) Working Age Adults with Disabilities and/...

Cumberland Council is procuring a Framework for Provision of Enhanced Residential Services for (Primarily) Working Age Adults with Disabilities and/or Mental Health Needs.

Residential care providers both current and new are invited to submit a bid in order to be accepted on to the new Framework to deliver high quality services to adults who are (primarily) of a working age.

This Framework is intended to be the Council’s sole route to commissioning placements for Enhanced Residential Services for (Primarily) Working Age Adults with Disabilities and/or Mental Health Needs.

Providers who have existing arrangements with the Council to deliver Enhanced Support (this means providers who have been previously issued with an Agreement for the Provision of Specialised Residential Services contract) will have current placements incorporated onto this Framework’s Call Off Terms and Conditions at their existing prices (as of 1st May 2025).

Provision has been included to support use of the Framework by North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (NENCICB) during the term of the Framework. Further discussions are being held with NENCICB around scoping access.

Whilst it is not mandatory for providers joining the Framework to have a residential service within Cumberland, Providers must have accommodation with an appropriate CQC registration as outlined in the Service Specification (Schedule 2), to be able to accept referrals and deliver Enhanced Residential Care and Support to adults primarily of a working age (18-64).
The aim of the Service is to enable people to maximise and maintain and (where possible) regain their independence. Providers will support individuals to be healthy and happy, to build and maintain relationships, to achieve their goals and aspirations, to have choice and control and to participate and thrive in their local community, both inside and outside of the care home.
Through this tender exercise, the Council is aiming to create a catalogue of Residential Services and Provider Profiles. These will be used to Call Off from (refer placements) as outlined in Schedule 2 (Award Process) of the Framework Agreement, and to publicise Residential Services on the Council’s web pages.
The Framework Agreement includes the requirement for Providers to pay staff engaged in delivering the contract the Real Living Wage (RLW). The Council is exploring becoming a Real Living Wage organisation over the term of the Framework and therefore this requirement has been included with the option for the Council to review this on an annual basis. We strongly encourage Framework Providers to move towards paying all staff the RLW within the first 12 months of this Framework, though for 2025/26 this will not be enforced.

For further information refer to the Schedule 2 Service Specification.

The are two Lots (1 & 2). All providers who join the Framework will join under Lot 1 and will automatically be eligible for Lot 2. Providers can only join Lot 2 by being eligible and successful to join Lot 1.

Lot 1 – Individual Placement
Cumberland Council will commission residential services via referral and follow the Call Off processes outlined in the Award Process Schedule 2 of the Framework Agreement.
Lot 2 – Bespoke Services
Should the Council wish to procure a bespoke service it will follow the mini competition process as outlined in the Award Process Schedule 2 of the contract. For the avoidance of doubt the Council will not be obliged to commission any services under Lot 2.