Consulting Services Specialist
hace 1 día
Croydon
Consultancy Specification: Development of New Provision for Young People with Complex Needs Croydon College is a place of hope and opportunity, our student feedback is very positive, students achieve highly and above national rates, and our financial position is good. While continuing to serve our student population well, our next challenge is to ensure our offer extends further into our community, to meet the education and skills needs of those we are not yet reaching. One of these groups is young people with complex needs. Croydon College is seeking consultancy support to assess and support the development of a specialist education provision for young people with complex needs. There is currently no suitable post‑18 provision within the borough for young people with complex needs, resulting in many being placed outside Croydon once they turn 18, either in education which involves long journeys each day, or in residential provision; both of which are expensive for the local authority, and reduce opportunities for the young people to remain within their communities. Developing a local offer will provide a more inclusive pathway, reduce travel and placement costs, and allow Croydon College to support a full 18–25 progression route for these learners. The proposed solution involves securing appropriate facilities, either through a building at our Coulsdon Campus or rental/purchase of an appropriate building. This would provide capacity for learners with significant complex needs as well as students with high levels of ASD who cannot be supported on the main campus. The college aims to confirm the feasibility of the project, the financial case, and the design, curriculum and staffing requirements needed to deliver a high quality specialist offer. Close collaboration with NHS professionals and Croydon Local Authority will be critical to ensure appropriate therapeutic‑ and medical input and to secure support for funding arrangements. The consultancy support will be required to work with our CFO on a full feasibility study covering capital costs, revenue modelling, return on investment. It should also assess health and safety requirements and the statutory considerations involved in designing a specialist environment. In parallel, the consultant will lead early engagement with the NHS and the local authority to determine service requirements and establish the level of funding and clinical support that can be secured. To ensure appropriate governance and reduce financial and operational risk, this project will be delivered in two distinct stages. Stage 1 will comprise the full feasibility study, including financial modelling, capital assessment, curriculum and staffing requirements, estates feasibility, and engagement with NHS and local authority partners. Progression to Stage 2—the development of the full business case, procurement pathway and implementation plan—will be strictly subject to approval of the feasibility study by the Governing Body. Only once Governors have confirmed that the feasibility study demonstrates a viable and sustainable proposition will the project proceed to the business planning and implementation phase. The consultant will shape the curriculum model aligned to Preparing for Adulthood and advise on a staffing structure that includes specialist teachers, support staff and any additional therapeutic or behavioural expertise requirements. The work will include developing an accommodation design brief suitable for the building, detailing requirements for sensory environments, therapy and medical spaces, and layouts appropriate for ASD‑friendly provision. A full business case will be produced, setting out options for implementing these changes along with a long‑term financial model, procurement pathway, risk register and an implementation timeline. This document should be suitable for consideration by the Governing Body and for use in discussions with the local authority and NHS partners. The consultant or consultancy team must have demonstrable experience in complex needs or SEND provision design, knowledge of FE and specialist post16 pathways, familiarity with EHCP requirements and SEN funding frameworks, experience working with NHS therapy and medical services, and expertise in specifying specialist accommodation for high‑ needs‑ learners. Expected outputs include: • Working with the CFO in a feasibility study, • Stakeholder engagement, • Developing a curriculum and staffing model, • Working with our estates advisors on an accommodation design brief, • Supporting the development of a full business case and the implementation plan If you are interested in providing this service, please can you provide a brief proposal outlining your approach and suitability for the work, together with CVs of key personnel involved to . Application Closing Date: 25 March 2026 Interview / Selection Date: Week commencing 30 March 2026