Essex County Council and Southend City Council are re-opening the framework agreement
for External Foster Care Services. This Framework Agreement sets out the procedure for
Placements, the terms and conditions for the provision of the Services and the obligations of
a Provider under this Framework Agreement.
Independent Foster Agencies (IFAs), who are not currently on the framework agreement,
have the opportunity to enter up to 4 lots on a multi-provider framework agreement to
provide Services to those customers who, if required, will make foster care placements in
accordance with this Framework Agreement.
It is important to note that despite entering the framework agreement, the Customers shall
have no obligation to make placements with any particular IFA under this Framework
Agreement and this Framework Agreement is not a commitment or guarantee from the
Customers to procure any Services or any specific volume of Services from any particular
IFA. Instead, the Customers shall only be committed under the terms of a valid and binding
Individual Placement Agreement formed pursuant to this Framework Agreement. Each
Individual Placement Agreement shall be an independent contract in its own right and
therefore shall survive termination or expiry of this Framework Agreement with the relevant
provisions of this Framework Agreement surviving as necessary until the expiry or earlier
termination of any such Individual Placement Agreements.