th
Subcontractor Events
London 23 rd October 10.30 – 12.30
South West 24 th
West Midlands 24
October 10.30 – 12.30 th October 10.30
– 12.30
EOI National Careers Service 20112-2013
726903932

Expression of Interest
© Prospects Services 2013
All rights reserved.
Reproduction, including electronic and mechanical copying, use on any information storage and retrieval system for passing to a third party is strictly forbidden.
This is a PROTECTED document and is available for the use of company staff and approved recipients ONLY.
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Expression of Interest
Prospects Services
Prospects Services is a mutually-owned, large company, working nationally and internationally in partnership with public, private and voluntary sector organisations, managing and delivering employment, education and training services.
Our mission is to inspire success for individuals and organisations; our values: delivering excellence; working together; embracing change while valuing staff, equality and diversity.
Prospects is budgeted to achieve a turnover of £80 million in 2013 – 2014, and employs 2,000+ staff from 60-plus bases in over 30 local authority areas. Our contracts are mainly in the public sector, with local authorities, Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, Department for Education,
Department for Work & Pensions, other government departments and agencies, nongovernmental public bodies, colleges and schools.
Prospects is the Prime Contractor for the National Careers Service (NCS) across Greater
London working with over 40 subcontractors to deliver the Service to adults aged 18 plus in all
33 London boroughs.
We are a member of the NCS Prime Contractor consortium in Yorkshire and Humberside and deliver these services with partners in the South West, Birmingham and West Midlands.
Prospects provides an ‘In custody offer’ in all London and Yorkshire prisons.
Prospects is bidding in London, the South West and the West Midlands. We are inviting providers interested in delivering the National Career Service as a subcontractor to complete the following Expression of Interest and return it to tenders@prospects.co.uk
no later than 5pm on
Tuesday 29 th October 2013.
This is the first stage in our procurement of subcontractors to support our tenders. Shortlisted organisations will be required to provide full financial information and will be asked to confirm details of delivery as necessary. If you have any questions concerning this Expression of Interest please email tenders@prospects.co.uk
We will use the information in this questionnaire confidentially, to assess your organisation as a partner, based on your capacity, delivery capabilities, preferred specialisms and locations. You may be invited to join potential supply chains and work with us to support our tenders.
Please note that completion and return of this form does not guarantee an offer of work or future partnership .
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Expression of Interest
Overview of new National Careers Service requirement
The National Careers Service is funded by the Skills Funding Agency and was launched on 1 st
April 2012. It is currently delivered through a set of prime contracts which end on 30 th September
2014.
The current service provides high quality information and impartial, professional careers advice and guidance to those who need it. It is available across England to all adults aged 19+
(18+ if unemployed) including adults in custody, and to young people aged 13. The face-to-face service is only available to adults. NCS is delivered under one consistent national brand but is shaped locally to respond to the needs of local partners and employers.
This new contract for the adult service will start on 1 st October 2014 and finish on or before 31 st
March 2017, unless extended. The service specification has undergone a number of changes reflecting changes suggested in recent reports from the National Careers Council and Ofsted.
Delivery will be measured by the following outcomes, against which providers will receive payments, at two levels
– one for ‘priority’, the other for ‘non-priority’ customers, with payments weighted heavily in favour of priority customers.
Outcomes for NCS customers a) Customer satisfaction b) Career management c) Jobs and learning
Customer Satisfaction Outcomes
Customer satisfaction outcomes are defined as the delivery of high quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance that provides the customer with relevant information, and clear steps to advance their career planning and development. The measurement and evidence collection of this outcome may change during the course of the contract as the SFA introduces new systems, and may include enabling the customers to give feedback independently.
Customer satisfaction outcomes will be evidenced by the customer agreeing that they have received a high quality service which has provided them with relevant advice and clear steps that they feel ready and confident to take.
Career Management Outcomes
The primary aim of careers information, advice and guidance is to help customers understand the value and importance of managing their careers and encouraging them to continue to manage their career on their own initiative.
Career management outcomes are defined as customers demonstrably continuing to manage their career independently, continuing to assess their skills, consider employer demand, pursue further learning, access their Personal Learner Record, update their
Lifelong Learning Account, improve their CVs and seek to fulfil their potential. Establishing this behaviour by customers will lead to more people continuing to extend their skills and pursue their employment goals.
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Expression of Interest
Jobs and Learning Outcomes
The ultimate aim of careers information, advice and guidance is to help customers progress into appropriate learning and work relevant to their needs and circumstances.
Jobs and learning outcomes are defined as progress made in their learning or working life. Progress may constitute starting a formal learning programme, completing an accredited course, starting a job or securing a promotion.
Evidence will be required for all outcomes; it will need to meet both SFA and ESF stipulations – to be advised.
Priority groups for the new National Careers Service are currently defined as: a) Low-skilled adults without a level 3 qualification b) Young adults aged 18-24 not in education, employment or training c) Adults facing redundancy, newly redundant or distant from the labour market d) Jobcentre Plus customers on DWP JSA, ESA (WRAG), who are unemployed people claiming
Universal Credit, looking for work and at least 18 years old e) Adult offenders in custody and in the community, and ex-offenders f) Adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
Subcontractors will be required to provide adviser-led, local support to customers (via face to face or phone as appropriate) who require help to access the tools and services available through the National Careers Service website, to help customers achieve outcomes relevant to their needs.
Funding rationale
Subcontractors will receive payment for evidenced achievement of the three outcomes,
Customer Satisfaction, Career Management and Job and Learning Outcomes as detailed above.
Targets will be agreed with successful subcontractors at contract award stage should Prospects be successful.
Please complete the application form below if you are interested in joining our supply chain. This is the first step. Shortlisted organisations will be required to undertake due diligence including financial assessment at the next stage. Deadline for completion is 17.00 on Tuesday 29 th
October. Please return by email to tenders@prospects.co.uk
noting in the subject line which geographical area(s) you are interested in.
Completion instructions
To check boxes point your cursor at the required box and double click. Under ‘Default
Value’ select ‘Checked’. To insert text click on field within each response area and begin typing. Boxes and tables can be expanded where additional space is required.
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Expression of Interest
1. Organisation details
Organisation Name:
Type of Organisation:
Public Limited Company Private Limited Company & registration no.
Registered Charity & number Social Enterprise & registration no.
Other, please specify:
Registered/Head Office (contract address inc. postcode)
UK Register of Learning Providers number if applicable (UKPRN)
Address as it appears on the UK Register of
Learning Providers (if different from the above)
Are you on the Skills Funding Agency
Register of Training Organisations?
N.B. registration is required for all organisations which have SFA contracts/subcontracts worth £100,000+ in total per annum
Main Contact Name
Job Title
Email
Contact Address (if different from above)
Telephone No.
Mobile No.
Fax No.
Website
Alternative contact name (if any)
Job title
Email
Contact address (if different from above)
Telephone number
Mobile number
Fax number
Email
Company number
Charity number
Website
UPIN if applicable
ICO ( Information Commissioner’s Office) registration number
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Expression of Interest
Employee Details
Total number of employees
Number of employees engaged in careers information, advice and guidance – please specify if to adults or young people
Number of volunteers (if applicable)
Number of apprentices
Please answer the following questions, keeping to any indicated word limit. Any information provided which exceeds the word limit will be ignored. Questions which are scored are clearly indicated in red
Q1 Please give a brief overview and history of your organisation and describe key strengths (300 words max.) Scored 1-5
Q2. Have you delivered an NCS or Next Step contract in the past? If so when, where and what % of your delivery targets did you achieve? (500 words max) Scored 1-5
Q3. Please give details of your three best performing contracts, and your single worst performing contract, within the last three years. In addition to matrix accredited information, advice and guidance, evidenced outcomes into sustainable work and learning are paramount, please include contracts which include these outcomes where possible. Scored 1-5
Name of contract
Contracting body e.g.
DWP
Contract duration
& annual value
Brief description of services delivered
Target performance
(e.g. 45% into jobs)
Actual performance achieved
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Expression of Interest
Q4. Please provide details of how you plan to resource the delivery of your proposal in terms of staffing, and the relevant IAG qualifications that these staff have or are working towards. Please detail any languages your staff speak, and specialist support you are able to provide, particularly in relation to the priority groups and the areas in which you would like to provide the service.
Please give an indication of staff who might come from existing staffing complements and those who might need to be newly recruited. Scored 1-5
Q5. Please indicate which priority groups you have experience of working with:
Low-skilled adults without level 3 qualification
Adults facing redundancy, newly redundant or distant from the labour market
Adult offenders in custody and the community, and ex-offenders
Young adults aged 18-24 not in education, employment or training
Jobcentre Plus customers on DWP JSA, ESA
(WRAG), unemployed people claiming Universal
Credit, looking for work and at least 18 years old
Adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
Q6. How will you ensure that the needs of customers are met on site e.g. childcare requirements, specialist equipment? Please include details of adjustments you will make to allow access by disabled people, or confirm that all premises to be used are DDA compliant. (300 words max.) Scored
1-5
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Expression of Interest
Quality Assessment – (one point for each)
Q7. Do you have and implement the following policies/procedures? We will require copies prior to contract should you be successful
YES NO
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups
Business Continuity Plan
Security Plan/information security (meeting the requirements of SFA and Prospects)
Data Protection
Fraud Prevention/Whistle Blowing
Environmental & Corporate Responsibility
TUPE (confirming commitment to meeting the requirement of SFA)
Health & Safety
Equality & Diversity
Recruitment & Selection
Complaints
Bullying & Harassment
Quality
Please indicate if you have any of the following quality accreditations/quality marks
ISO 9001
ISO 27001
ISO 14001 matrix N.B. all subcontractors must be matrix accredited or committed to completing accreditation within 6 months of contract award , therefore this is a pass/fail question
If yes, when does it expire?
Do you have the newer, revised standard or previous standard (Pre Nov 11)?
Do you commit to achieving matrix within 6 months of the start of the contract
NO YES
Positive about Disabled People
Investors in People
Positive about Mental Health
If not held please state whether you are working towards any of the above and your expected accreditation date
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Expression of Interest
Please list any other accreditation/quality marks held
Q8. Please provide details of the most recent Ofsted inspection grades
Ofsted
Grade Date
Croydon
Greenwich
Hackney
Havering
Lambeth
Lewisham
Merton
Newham
Redbridge
Southwark
Area(s) of Interest
Q9. Please indicate in which geographical location(s)/area(s) you wish to deliver services
Please state areas of interest (region, local authority area/s) and the number of staff you have currently working in each.
Area of Operation: London Please tick those areas where you are proposing to deliver your service in
London (non scoring question)
Barking and Dagenham
Bexley
Bromley
Barnet
Brent
Camden
City of London Ealing
Enfield
Hammersmith and Fulham
Haringey
Harrow
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston
Richmond
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Expression of Interest
Sutton
Tower Hamlets
Wandsworth
Westminster
Waltham Forest
Area of Operation: South West
Please tick those areas where you are proposing to deliver your service in the South West (non scoring question)
Bath & NE Somerset Bristol
Cornwall
Isles of Scilly
Devon
North Somerset
Plymouth Somerset
South Gloucestershire Torbay
Area of Operation: West Midlands
Please tick those areas where you are proposing to deliver your service in West Midlands (non scoring question)
Telford & Wrekin
County of Herefordshire
Warwickshire
Shropshire
Worcestershire
Coventry
Birmingham Sandwell
Dudley
Wolverhampton
Walsall
Solihull
Q10. Please list suitable premises (by town/postcode/local authority area) in which you could deliver services Scored 1-5
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Expression of Interest
Financial Due Diligence
We will undertake full financial diligence with shortlisted organisations; in the interim please answer the following questions. Not scored at this stage.
Do you have audited and published accounts for the last three financial years?
(We will ask for a copy of accounts at the next stage) Yes/No
If you do not have audited and published accounts for the last three financial years, please briefly state why. We will require you to provide supporting information at a later stage should you be shortlisted as a subcontractor which could be used to eval uate your organisation’s financial standing
Any other information
Please use this space to include any other information that you wish to tell us about your organisation (300 words max.)
Declaration
I confirm on behalf of my organisation that I am authorised to give the above information and declare that to my knowledge all the answers are true and accurate. I further confirm that my organisation is prepared to provide Prospects with a letter of support for any tender submissions.
Name:
Job Title:
Date:
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