Commissioned Short Breaks – Group Activity (2)

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council is seeking a provider to deliver short break group activities for children and young people aged between five and 10 with complex needs across the Tameside Borough.

The service will primarily support children and young people attending specialist educational provision or a resource base who require 1:1 or 2:1 specialised support due to behavioural, personal care, safety, medical and/or moving and handling needs. Provision is also available for children with physical difficulties who may require more complex personal care support.

Age groupings will depend on the provider’s proposed delivery model, although consideration must be given to children and young people currently open to the Children with Disabilities (CWD) Team. The Council has specified that children at the extremes of the eligible age range should not be grouped together.

The service should promote independence wherever possible and take a flexible approach to staffing. Individual staffing ratios may be reduced where it is safe to do so and where this has been agreed with commissioners and the CWD Team.

Support Requirements

Children and young people accessing the service may have one or more presenting needs, with all eligible cases having an associated learning need. Examples provided by the Council include:

• Global Development Delay
• Severe Learning Need
• Moderate Learning Need

Support will be delivered on a 1:1 or 2:1 basis and may include personal care. Providers may be required to assist with eating and drinking, including regular prompts, and ensure personal care is provided with dignity.

Staff may also need to manage behaviours that challenge while maintaining the safety of children, young people and staff; provide support with regulation and de-escalation; encourage meaningful participation in activities; and follow moving and handling plans for safe transfers between equipment and activities.

Providers will be responsible for ensuring that staff are fully trained to support the individual presenting needs of the children and young people using the service.

Contract Information

Buyer: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Deadline: 14 September 2026, 12:00pm

Contract Value: £168,750 excluding VAT (£202,500 including VAT)

Delivery Length: 1 January 2027 to 31 March 2028, with a possible 12-month extension to 31 March 2029

Tender Link: Click here

The enquiry deadline is 7 September 2026 at 5:00pm, with an estimated award decision date of 19 October 2026.

Evaluation Criteria

Tenders will be evaluated using the following weighting:

• Quality – 85%
• Price – 15%

The procurement will use a competitive flexible procedure. Following tender submissions, the three highest-scoring bidders will be invited to interview.

Service Requirements

Providers must ensure that staff have the appropriate training to meet each child’s individual presenting needs, including where specialist personal care, behavioural support, medical support or moving and handling assistance is required.

The service area may provide an example Personal Needs Care Plan to help providers understand a young person’s requirements. Providers will be expected to use this as guidance alongside gathering their own information about the individual needs of each child or young person.

The opportunity provides a focused commissioning route for organisations experienced in delivering specialist short breaks and group activities for children with complex needs, with a strong emphasis on safe, dignified and meaningful support that promotes independence wherever possible.

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If you want to advertise your opportunity, please contact Jamie Peacock, Tender Specialist at advertising@dailyround.news