bOunceT has been awarded a place on the Social Inclusion Framework after successfully completing a competitive tender by Stirling Council.
bOunceT are now an approved supplier on the framework and are already receiving referrals from Stirling Council’s Children with Disabilities Social Work team.
Many of the families who are supported by this team are entitled to a small annual budget that either the Council control (then they refer onto services and create a ‘Care Plan’ budgeting what can be spent) – or the families control (there is slightly more autonomy and control with this option – but a bit more work re; managing finances).
This budget can be used to ‘purchase’ various service provisions – from care & support, to health & wellbeing activities/classes that provide therapeutic benefits.
The tender was something that was talked about for a while by the Council and local services providing support to children and young people with disabilities in the area. It finally opened up in for official applications in the summer of 2021. We heard back just before xmas that we were approved – it was such a relief!
Callum (Founder – bOunceT)
The purpose of this new framework was for Stirling Council to ensure there are as many opportunities for children and young people with disabilities, and their families, to access high quality support from local services.
Other organisations who were successful to be awarded a place on the Framework include PLUS, ENABLE Scotland and Equi-Power to name a few.
Background from Stirling Council
Stirling Council Children’s Services have a vision of Stirling as a place where every child grows up
feeling loved, safe, and respected, so that they can realise their full potential.
For all children and young people, we will aim to offer the right support at the right time, working
through universal to targeted services to tackle needs early, placing the child or young person, and
their family, at the centre of decision-making.
“Place based” or “community based” working is a whole community approach within a local area.
Ongoing developments aim to support closer partnerships with children and families at operational
and strategic levels, to evaluate and shape our improvement activities. This development will lead to
a deeper implementation of the national ‘Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC)’ approach.
To assist in delivering this, Children and Families Social Work Service are seeking to commission a
breadth of services for vulnerable children and young people. These are individuals who are provided
support by Social Work on both a statutory and voluntary basis. These services contribute to the
following Council key priority.
Priority A – ‘We will look after all of our citizens, from early years through to adulthood, by providing quality education and social care services, to allow everybody to lead their lives to their full potential’.
What will we do, and how?
Recently at bOunceT, we have developed a clear structure for the different levels of support we offer: Universal, Targeted & Specialist.
This has enabled us to diversify – and grow – our business in general, but it was key when applying to become part of the framework during the tender.
As part of the framework, bOunceT will offer support at all levels of this ‘pyramid’.
At the ‘Specialist’ level – if families would like, or need, support from a registered Occupational Therapist then payment of £43 per hour can be agreed from their Care Plan budget. This will include elements of assessment and intervention planning, from a sensory and therapeutic play perspective. Naturally, there will be less hours of support at this level as once an assessment is complete and therapeutic programme agreed, other support can be provided.
At the ‘Targeted’ level – if families would like, or need, a Play Leader to facilitate 1:1 sessions (rebound therapy activities in our Stirling play room) this can be budgeted weekly, or fortnightly. The cost for this is £30 per hour. Naturally, our Play Leaders will receive training and supervision from an Occupational Therapist – with support about how to adapt and tailor specific activities to specific individuals in sessions (as needed). However, typically an Occupational Therapist would not be in sessions regularly.
Finally, at the ‘Universal’ level – if families would like access to our therapeutic play room in Stirling for ‘family led’ sessions this can be budgeted at £25 per hour (again weekly or fortnightly).
So, here we are, at the start of the Contract!
We look forward to working with existing families who now have confirmed funding for continued support, in addition to those new families who will be accessing bOunceT for the first time!
We will keep you up to date with everything that is happening, and what we learn over the next few months. I am sure this will influence not only what we do [for the rest of the length of the tender] but how, and why, we do it!
Watch this space!
#TeamBounceOT
🙂
