Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that information and advice services for families, kinship carers and special guardians of children at risk or involved in the care system in England can continue uninterrupted, following the reported delay in the procurement of this service.

The department is in the process of tendering for an information and advice service for families including kinship carers of children at risk or involved in the care system.

Our intention remains to award this contract in March 2020 in order for the service to commence on 1 April 2020. As per our most recent indicative timeline, we hope to evaluate tender bids on 3 February 2020, hold clarification meetings between 14 February 2020 to 20 February 2020, and announce the preferred bidder soon after.

Any further unexpected delays will be communicated to all interested bidders. The department will work with any winning bidder, and the existing provider to ensure the service is not interrupted.