Commissioning of Family Services December 2016

1. Commissioning of Family ServicesDecember 2016

2. Background Strong history of working in partnership to deliver family services that centred around Visitors Centre and family engagement work Our history of providing definite stable contracts is relatively poor though Partners have often had to trust we would pay and continue to commission – proper stable contracts required Historical and organic way of growth has meant for disproportionate provision and allocation of funds Decision to re-commission based on fair re-distribution of funding; outside of women’s estate We recognise it has advantages and disadvantages Process set in context of more authority to Governors

3. Timetable following Roadshows Publish Contract Notice – 09/01/2017 Closing date – 03/02/2017 Award of Framework – 01/05/2017 Mini Competition starts – 02/05/2017 Contract Delivery – 02/10/2017 https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html Email: Commercial.Operati@justice.gsi.gov.uk

4. Procurement process We will be creating a Framework agreement using a 2 stage process. A Framework agreement will be put in place using lots (Stage 1) followed by mini competitions within the regional lots for individual or clusters of establishments (stage 2) All suppliers who register an interest following the Contract notice publication will receive and Invitation to Tender The tendering process is an opportunity for suppliers to bid for the requirement as defined in the ITT document The ITT is issued to all suppliers that request it

5. What is a Framework? Framework Agreements A framework is an agreement with suppliers to establish terms governing contracts that may be awarded during the life of the agreement. In other words, it is a general term for agreements that set out terms and conditions for making specific purchases (call-offs). The framework itself is not a legal contract, the direct awards and mini comp – and awards are the contracting element of the frameworks. Can be explicit to categories of whom can use the framework, such as all Establishments within the UK. The Framework documents will clearly disclose how the framework is to be used – i.e. ranked, how to call off how to mini comp. The Framework will be based on a high level specification. The mini competitions will be based on each prison/clusters specification

6. Regional Lots • Lot 1 – London & Thames Valley • Lot 2 – South West • Lot 3 – North East & Yorkshire • Lot 4 – East • Lot 5 – Kent, Sussex & Essex • Lot 6 – North West • Lot 7 – Midlands • Lot 8 Wales • Women and High Security prisons may sit within the geographic region in which it resides

7. Requirements of the specification The High level specification for this requirement is to deliver: Conduct Visits Visits Room Play area Visits room Refreshment Facilities Services for visitors Services for visitors Visits enrichment Activity Family Visits Days Visits Bookings Family engagement Family/Advice/Engagement worker Courses and interventions Family Relationship Course/Intervention

8. Delivery Model might be! Devon and Cornwall HMP Exeter HMP Dartmoor HMP Channing’s Wood Hampshire and Isle of Wight HMP Winchester? HMP Isle of Wight (includes Albany and Parkhurst)? SW Southern HMPYOI Portland HMP Guys Marsh SW Northern HMP Bristol HMP Erlestoke HMP Leyhill

9. What we can do Working to form a much more coherent strategic overview both at National Offender Management Services (NOMS)/ Public Sector prisons (PSP) level; and at individual establishment level Now have a Family Services Support Working Group, chaired by one of the Deputy Directors of Custody, Paul Baker Encouraged Governors to form a focus on families as part of their service level agreement Governors to consider what they can do better with “internal” resources to improve provision - visits booking/ digitalisation/ VV Improving what we can do–Offender Management opportunity Recognising the value of a “whole prison” approach to familes

10. A Wider Perspective White Paper On Reform and Safety Research has found that prisoners who report improved family relationships are significantly less likely to reoffend or use class A drugs on release from prison. There has been progress improving services in recent years and many prisons have a clearly developed family pathway where their approach involves families as a productive partner in helping to reduce reoffending. This good practice is by no means universal, however. Lord Farmer, working in partnership with Clinks, has been commissioned to build on this progress and chair a working party to investigate how supporting men in prison in England and Wales to engage with their families can reduce reoffending and assist in addressing intergenerational crime.

11. A Wider Perspective White Paper On Reform and Safety Governors to be held to account for the family services in their prison, and to have the levers to change the current provision. From autumn 2017, we will devolve the family service budgets to governors so that they have flexibility over what resource to allocate and how to spend it. Currently the funding for delivery of family services is distributed unevenly, so we propose to redistribute funding in a more targeted manner. Re-procuring contracts so that governors have maximum flexibility and discretion to put in place the services that would best meet the needs of their prisoners.

12. Questions