Date: 25/09/18 Dear Sir/Madam Invitation to Tender MACS wish to tender for a Specialist Practitioner Psychologist (Counselling or Clinical Speciality) MACS are developing a therapeutic community in a semi -rural setting in Dundrod for the most vulnerable children in NI who can no longer live within their own family home, extended family members, foster care or current Children s Home provision. This role will require psychological assessment, interpretation and formulation of therapeutic plans to meet the emotional and psychological needs of the children. The trauma model we will be using is Sensory Attachment Intervention (SAI) developed by Éadaoin Bhreathnach Clinical Director of the Sensory Attachment Centre. Éadaoin has developed a sensory processing based programme for Children and Parents called Just Right State (JRS). This programme is designed to support parents and children to create an enriched environment where sensory needs can be met in the home and will be used in the Children s Home. All the team, including the Specialist Practitioner Psychologist will be trained in SAI and JRS. The appointed Practitioner Psychologist will be required to work in partnership with our Specialist SAI consultants to implement Sensory based interventions in conjunction with the therapeutic plan. See Appendix for further information on the Children s Home and team set up. Also you can access MACS website at www.macsni.org You are hereby invited by MACS Supporting Children and Young People to submit a tender for the above services. MACS Invitation to Tender contains Instructions and Information for Tendering including Specification of Requirements for those applying to tender. If you wish to submit a tender, you are required to return one electronic mail version of your proposal, clearly marked as such. Please note memory sticks are not accepted. MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
1. INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION FOR TENDERERS 1. Tenders must be submitted in accordance with these instructions and any further instructions contained in other documentations issued by MACS. 2. The Tenderer may not alter this document. Any proposed alteration is to be given in a separate letter accompanying the tender. 3. Tenderers may be rejected if any of the requested information is not supplied with the tender or if the submission fails to comply with the format and presentation. 4. Tenders will be received up to the time and date stated. It is the Tenderers responsibility to ensure that their tender is received on time. MACS does not undertake to consider any tender received after that time unless there is sufficient evidence to pre-suppose its due delivery. 5. MACS does not acknowledge receipt of tender documents and accepts no responsibility for loss or non-receipt of applications. 6. MACS expressly reserve the right not to award any contract as a result of this procurement process and it shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Tenderers. MACS also reserve the right to accept all or any part of a tender. 7. Prices shown must be inclusive of VAT. 8. The Tenderer must not inform anyone else of their tendered price. 9. The Tenderer must not try to obtain any information about any other party s tender or proposed tender before the contract is awarded. 10. The Tenderer must not arrange with any other party the submission of a tender except in the circumstances where sub-contracting and/or joint ventures are applicable. 11. Where invoices will be rendered by or payments made to, an entity whose title differs in any respect from the title in which the tender is submitted, full details must be provided in a letter accompanying the tender. 12. Successful Tenderers who fail to provide this will experience non-payment of their invoices. 13. All responses to this Invitation to Tender must be in English. MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION MACS Supporting Children and Young People was established in 1990 to provide a range of services for vulnerable children and young people aged up to 25 years. MACS Supporting Children and Young People is a leading young person s organisation in Northern Ireland. We provide a range of services for young people including; Supported Housing: We have a number of self-contained flats for young people who are care experienced and have experienced homelessness. Support staff work with these young people to help them develop the skills needed to live interdependently once they have left care or home. This includes support around tenancy management, budgeting, education and training, managing relationships and personal support to help them cope with this transition from care or home. Floating Support: This service is targeted at homeless young people or those at risk of becoming homeless, liaising with the Housing Executive, providing practical support regarding benefits, housing needs and family mediation. Includes suicide prevention remit. Wellbeing Support Service: Providing support to young people who are suicidal or selfharming, this service focuses on building resilience and relationships, providing support and social opportunities through a linked worker and paired working with a volunteer. Wellbeing also runs a school programme for 11 16 year olds focusing on positive mental health. Led by You: was set up in 2012 to improve young people s participation in MACS. Young People felt that they would like someone who understands them and their experiences to influence the strategic direction MACS takes. MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
3. ABOUT THIS TENDER Scope and Timing of Work Initially a one year from January 2019 with potential for extension. Availability required in December 2018 for aspects of induction and training alongside the team. This will include training with the team on Sensory Attachment Intervention and Just Right State. Maximum of 21 Hours available per week. Tender Requirements Proposal should provide the following information: 3.1 Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required Provide a brief description of your experience of carrying out Therapeutic assessment and planning, including experience of providing clinical 1-1 and group based supervision, reflective practice support sessions and direct therapeutic work with Children aged 6-12 years old. A minimum of 2 years experience in relation to the above is required. You must also confirm that you have professional indemnity insurance of no less than 250,000. 3.2 Your Tender should demonstrate the following competences; Professional post graduate degree in counselling or clinical psychology (as recognised by the British Psychological Society or Psychological Society of Ireland). Comprehensive assessment and interpretation of the emotional and psychological wellbeing needs of children, integrating data from a range of sources (psychological testing, self-reporting measures, observations, histories, and interviews with relevant people including the children). MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
Formulation and implementation of therapeutic plans with clear evidenced based psychological interventions and supports. Excellent communication skills and be capable of navigating complex relationships, negotiating through barriers to communication, and disseminating information of a sensitive nature in a fair and non-sensationalised way. Ability to develop key relationships with the therapeutic Services in referring Trusts so that Therapeutic planning for children is integrated and understood and not operating in isolation. This must include contributing to statutory meetings for Looked After Children. That you have worked in partnership with other Professionals and Clinicians (as you will be required to embrace and integrate the Trauma informed Sensory Attachment Intervention model into Therapeutic planning, clinical supervision and reflective practice in partnership with SAI consultants). Undertake 1-1 therapeutic work with children. Ensure the therapeutic plan incorporates an active assessment and planning for the child s readiness for a planned transition to Fostering. Provide group and 1-1 clinical supervision and reflective sessions to the team (team of 10 people). Ability to develop a process to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of therapeutic plans. This includes processes for auditing team practice and evaluating therapeutic outcomes. Deliver teaching and training on Trauma, Attachment, Child Development and any other relevant related theory, approaches or issue to support the team to meet the needs of children (you will be expected to deliver the Just Right State to the team and potential foster carers). MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
Ensure governance of psychological practice at clinical and operational levels in consultation with your clinical supervisor, the team and manager. 3.3 Budget The proposal must include a complete and accurate itemised budget for the preparation and delivery of the requirements that includes the following: The budget should show the total cost in each category of expenditure and the total proposed expenditure. If your price excludes certain fees or charges, you must provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation of the nature of those fees. 3.4 References Please provide names and contact information of two individuals who can speak directly of the bidder s ability to meet the specific requirements of this tender. Tender Submission and Contract terms Tender submission Proposals to undertake this work should be submitted electronically to Claire Sweeney by noon 22.10.18 (clairesweeney@macsni.org). Questions must be submitted to Sinéad O Flaherty no later than 15.10.18. Questions must be emailed to Sinéad at sineadoflaherty@macsni.org. All questions will be answered on Wednesday 17.10.18 and forwarded to all applicants who have asked questions. Tender submissions will be shortlisted and interviews held on 06.11.18. Contract terms MACS will negotiate contract terms upon selection. All contracts are subject to review and a tender will be awarded upon signing of an agreement or contract, which outlines terms, scope, budget and other necessary items. MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
4. EVALUATION CRITERIA A tender assessment panel will examine all tenders received. The panel will have to be satisfied that the method and programme of work meet the requirements and are cost effective. The panel will also take into account other criteria to include: Clear demonstration and understanding of the qualification required and competencies to be addressed Level, depth, nature of experience in the area Overall assessment and quality of proposal Interview process for tenderers shortlisted based on above criteria MACS reserves the right to take into account any other relevant considerations that, in its absolute discretion, it may deem are appropriate. 5. PRICING SCHEDULE 1. Prices will be fixed for the duration of the initial contract and any decision to extend beyond this will include consideration of prices proposed for a period of extension. 2. The prices in the pricing schedule shall include for all goods and services shown or described in the contract as a whole and for all goods and services not described but apparent as being necessary for the complete and proper execution of the provision of the contract. 3. Each item in the Pricing Schedule must be fully priced, with insertions for each item. If any item is unpriced, that item shall be deemed to be free of charge. 4. Applications for payment shall be made in accordance with MACS Financial Procedures which are available upon request. 5. All prices quoted must be inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT). MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland
APPENDIX Introduction on MACS Children s Therapeutic Community: MACS are in the process of establishing a Therapeutic Community (home) for 3 children aged between 7-14. The home will be situated in a rural setting approx. 15mins car journey from Belfast. It is anticipated that the first intake of children will be January 2019. The children referred will have complex needs and at times extreme behaviours. These needs cannot be met in mainstream children s homes or foster care. This is an exciting opportunity for MACS to introduce something brand new and ground-breaking in Northern Ireland. We have completed extensive research into the needs of these children, taking into account the views of young people who have been through the care system and from professionals working in the field The staff team will be multi disciplinary drawing on skills from Social Work, Teaching, Occupational Health and Psychology. Sensory processing/trauma and Attachment theories will underpin all interventions with the children. We will be using the Just Right State model which facilitates the process of selfregulation through the use of sensory activities, food and an enriched environment. The model is based on the principle that when somatosensory based experiences are incorporated into daily life routines, it enhances the capacity to remain regulated in activities that are normally challenging for the child. In order to emulate a family environment and to provide vital consistency, caring and safety a staffing model based on longer hours will be essential. The preferred ideal is for House Parents to live in the home for a minimum of 5 consecutive 24 hour periods followed by the same off i.e. 5 days on and 5 days off. Activity based interventions will be core to the life of the house and for each child. Staff will be the main link with statutory partners, education / schools, doctors, youth clubs etc., therefore mirroring what happens in any ordinary household. Staff will be skilled and experienced in areas of personal resilience, showing love and compassion, holding firm on routines and rituals, self-reflection, use of self, selfmanagement and understanding personality types within a team. There will be no cooks or cleaners - as living in any family home the team will be expected to run the house involving the children where applicable. The staffing model will consist of: 4 house parents; 2 on together for a minimum of 5 consecutive 24 hour periods followed by the same off i.e. 5 days on and 5 days off. 4 Activity workers to work with the children during the day and to liaise with statutory partners and outside agencies where applicable. A part time Clinical Psychologist. The Service Manager will have overall responsibility for the home. MACS is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, Charity number XR13060 Company number NI44482, registered in Northern Ireland