Invite to tender: Communication Champion and Council support

The Government published Better Communication, the Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Action Plan, on 17 December 2008, following the Review of services for children and young people with SLCN by John Bercow, MP.

In Better Communication the Government committed to the appointment of a Communication Champion to raise awareness of speech, language and communication issues and the formation of the Communication Council to provide Government with advice and support on how best to develop effective services for children with SLCN

According to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the Government remains committed to having an effective champion and council in place as soon as possible.

Support for the champion and council

The DCSF and the Department of Health (DH) have tendered for an organisation to provide support to the Communication Champion and the Communication Council and host the Communication Champion.

THe DCSF website has more information and details on how to request the invitation to tender

You can see the notice of this open tender in the Supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union and can request the invitation to tender (ITT) by emailing slcn.action@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk and asking for a copy.

If you request the ITT for information and you or your organisation do not intend to submit a tender, please make this clear in your request for the ITT (this is to help keep track of the likely number of tenders received).

The deadline for tenders is midday on 15 June 2009. Submission instructions are included in the ITT.

The DCSF and DH expect to complete this procurement exercise by mid-July.

Appointing a champion

The DCSF and DH are also making arrangements for an agency to run an open recruitment exercise for the Communication Champion.

This is expected to begin before the end of July once it is clear which organisation will host the champion.

The DCSF and DH will appoint the champion with the approval of ministers at the end of the exercise.