Prisoner Screening and Assessment Tools and Associated Services

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has a legal requirement to secure the provision of education and training for prisoners and recognises that Education, Skills, and Work (ESW) play a significant role in reducing reoffending. A 2017 MoJ report shows that prisoners who participated in any form of learning activity were 9 percentage points less likely to reoffend compared to non-learners and 1.8 percentage points more likely to be in employment after release. MoJ is committed to delivering a transformed 'Prisoner Education Service' (PES) focused on work-based training and skills'.

The Prisoner Education Service (PES) programme is developing an innovative, integrated digital ecosystem that brings together a holistic prisoner view that informs planning, delivery and accountability. Effective Screening and Assessment (S&A) is at the core of this, ensuring that prisoner's education starting points and learning needs are identified from initial education induction, and inform their learner journey throughout their time in custody. This system should enable HMPPS to drive up standards, improve national consistency and outcomes across the estate, both in custody and in the community.

To enable and support HMPPS ambition and realise the strategic decision for national education screening, we are procuring digital S&A tools for the Prison Education Service contracts. The scope of this procurement includes screening tools for English, Mathematics, Digital Skills, Reading, and Additional Learning Needs (ALN). Due to the importance of having a 'human element' in assessing reading ability. , Reading assessments can be partly digital but must include interaction with assessment outcomes.

This tender is to procure three Tools, one for each of the following Lots:

Lot 1: English, Mathematics, and Digital Skills

Lot 2: Reading

Lot 3: Additional Learning Needs

The Tools must be compliant with the minimum viable product digital requirements as outlined in the specification in time for Service Commencement and must be capable of integrating with other services and sharing data using open standards.

The vision for the S&A Tools is to:

• Implement high-quality, accessible tools that accurately identify prisoner ability levels and indicate potential needs.
• Enable collaboration with the Authority and PES providers to ensure continuous improvement so that the S&A tools enable quality S&A delivery.
• Enable data reporting integration of the S&A tools into the Authority systems.
• Provide for the first time national consistent S&A tools across the PES estate to reduce duplication and improve data flow across the estate.
• Deliver the ambition for digital by default screening with contingencies to allow continued S&A delivery when access to digital tool/s is impacted.
• Ensure high quality S&A tool provider led training and ongoing support to PES core-education staff on the use of provider screening tools.
• Drive quality via output measured key performance indicators.

Additional information:

Description of Lots

Lot 1 English, Mathematics, and Digital Services

Value excluding VAT: (estimated total maximum value for the entire duration of this lot):

£2,625,000.00.

The English and Mathematics element of the Tool would accurately assess Prisoner's current skills and ability under the following outcomes:

• Pre-entry level
• Entry level 1
• Entry level 2
• Entry level 3
• Level 1
• Level 2 or higher

And the Digital Skills element of the Tool would accurately assess Prisoners' current skills and abilities in line with National Standards and provide an assessment of the Prisoner's everyday digital literacy skills and functional digital skills

Lot 2 Reading

Value excluding VAT: (estimated total maximum value for the entire duration of this lot):

£2,625,000.00.

The tool will accurately identify gaps in a Prisoners' reading ability, covering comprehension, reading fluency and phonological awareness and would indicate a reading level/score and level of reading support required to progress their ability to read.

Reading assessments would include digital elements but must include interaction with and assessment outcomes determined by prison delivery staff.

Lot 3 Additional Learning Needs

Value excluding VAT: (estimated total maximum value for the entire duration of this lot):

£4,081,000.00

The ALN Tool must identify areas of potential ALN including:

• Communication and Interaction needs;
• Cognition and Learning needs;
• Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties; and
• Physical and/or Sensory Needs

Services are to be contracted for an initial term of Four (4) years with an option to extend by three (3) years to a maximum of seven (7( years.

Access to Tender documents is via the MoJ eSourcing portal Jaggaer.

If you are not already registered on the MoJ eSourcing Portal (Bravo) please use the link and follow the registration process: https://ministryofjusticecommercial.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Tender Documents

• Opportunity notice on Contracts Finder → — Tender notice
• MoJ eSourcing portal →