WIREDGOV

Flexible solutions to tackle growing challenges within the children’s residential care sector underpin a new procurement framework launched by YPO, one of the UK’s largest public-sector buying organisations. 

Now live, YPO’s new Children’s Residential Care Framework is designed to support a more strategic approach to commissioning key services for young people, amid rising demand for safe, stable, and nurturing homes.

Developed following engagement with local authority leaders and informed by sector challenges around sufficiency, placement availability, and market pressures, the framework has been designed to support authorities in planning for the future, while keeping the needs of children and young people at its heart. 

As an open framework, the solution will be reopened at frequent points during its eight-year term, giving new providers opportunities to join. This will help local authorities and YPO to respond to changing patterns of demand, develop provider capacity in areas where gaps exist and support stronger local and regional sufficiency.

This flagship framework moves beyond a traditional placement-focused approach by supporting longer-term commissioning strategies that enable local authorities to commission whole homes and develop longer term partnerships with providers to develop sustainable provision, strengthen local and regional sufficiency and improve placement stability.

Additionally, the framework gives authorities the flexibility to shape services in a way that reflects their communities’ needs, while also encouraging collaboration between commissioners, providers, and wider sector partners.

Simon Hill, Managing Director at YPO, comments:

“As local authorities continue to work within a challenging residential care landscape and balance increasing demand, the need to secure the right support for children and young people is crucial.

“The Children’s Residential Care Framework has been developed to support authorities in taking a more strategic approach to commissioning, helping them to shape a flexible service that can react to ever-changing and increasing demands.

“At the heart of all of this, is the need to create stable, nurturing homes for children and young people - always keeping their successful outcomes at the forefront of decision making.”

The framework is now available for use by eligible organisations, alongside a dedicated user guide designed to help commissioners understand how the solution can support their local priorities and commissioning objectives.

For more information about the Children’s Residential Care Framework, please visit https://www.ypo.co.uk/frameworks-home/900692, or for more information on YPO’s range of products or services, visit https://www.ypo.co.uk/.