Ends Mar 2027
LBS Adults Advocacy, CYP Advocacy and Independent Visitor Service
London Borough of Southwark · London · 3-year contract
Held by Barnardo's, The Advocacy People
Independent visitor service tenders and contracts
UK public sector, covering 600+ buyer sites
488 independent visitor service tenders and contracts, 106 this year.
Updated 4 November 2026 · compiled by BidSkim Limited · How we count
- Awarded a month£970k
- Contracts a month2.1
- Won by SMEs69%
- Renewing in 6 months5
- Frameworks and DPSs2
- Live now8See them →
Independent visitor service contracts
Tap a region to see its contracts. Pick as many as you like.
How many independent visitor service contracts do keyword alerts miss?
In the last year, an "independent visitor" alert would have missed 17 of 30 independent visitor service contracts (57%) and an expert list of 14 phrases 10 (33%). How we measured this
Keyword alert"independent visitor"
57% missed
17 of 30
Expert list14 phrases
33% missed
10 of 30
Expert list: independent visitor, independent visitor service, children's advocacy, children's rights service, advocacy for looked after children, advocacy for children in care, care leaver advocacy, children's rights and advocacy, young people's advocacy, statutory advocacy, looked after children advocacy, independent advocacy children, child advocacy service, independent visiting
BidSkim reads every notice in full and matches the work, not the words.See what BidSkim finds for you
50 contracts across the UK, of any size
Live now
8 independent visitor service opportunities are open now
- OpenCloses in 5 weeksPKC14277 Independent Advocacy Services for Children and Young people within Perth & KinrossPerth & Kinross Council · ScotlandEst.£375k
- Pre-market31 Oct 2026Children’s Service - Seeking Children’s ViewsScottish Government · Scotland
- OpenCloses in 3 weeksChildren's Advocacy and Independent Visitors ServiceBolton Council · North WestEst.£638k
- OpenCloses in 8 daysAdvocacy Services for Children, Young People & AdultsPlymouth City Council · South WestEst.£7.2m
- Pre-market5 Oct 2026Advocacy, Participation and Family Group Decision Making ServicesTrafford Council · North West
- OpenCloses todayChildren's rights, advocacy and independent visitorsStockport Metropolitan Borough Council · North WestEst.£175k
- OpenCloses in 4 daysIndependent Visitors ServiceLondon Borough of Hackney · LondonEst.£478k
- Pre-market24 Sep 2026National Advocacy Information, Advice and Safety Net ServiceDepartment for EducationEst.£540k
- Awarded15 Oct 2026Childrens Rights and Advocacy ServicesLeeds City Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by Barnardo's£1.2m
- Awarded18 Sep 2026Integrated Advocacy ServicesWigan Council · North WestWon by Wigan and Leigh Churches Association for Family Welfare£250k
- Awarded10 Sep 2026Contract Award for Gloucestershire Independent Visiting ServiceGloucestershire County Council · South WestWon by Reconstruct (Children and Adults Services) Ltd£103k
- Awarded8 Sep 2026Children's Rights and AdvocacyTameside Metropolitan Borough Council · North WestWon by Advocacy Focus£120k
- Awarded7 Sep 2026Children's Rights, Advocacy and Independent Visitor ServiceHalton Borough Council · North WestWon by National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)£45k
- Awarded3 Sep 2026Advocacy and Independent Visitor Service for ChildrenLondon Borough of Brent · LondonWon by Coram£398k
- Awarded28 Aug 2026Children and Young People Independent Advocacy and Independent Visitor ServiceManchester City Council · North WestWon by Coram£696k
- Awarded27 Aug 2026Children's Rights Service - Advocacy and Independent Visitor ProvisionDerby City Council · East MidlandsWon by Citizens Advice Mid Mercia£389k
- Awarded28 Jul 2026Torbay Independent Advocacy Service for Children and Young PeopleTorbay Council · South WestWon by The Children's Society£299k
- Awarded24 Jul 2026Provision of Children's Advocacy Service in BuckinghamshireBuckinghamshire Council · South EastWon by National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)£188k
- Awarded17 Jul 2026Independent Advocacy and Children's Rights Services: Looked After, Child Protection Processes and Continuing CareThe City of Edinburgh Council · ScotlandWon by Who Cares Scotland£1.3m
- Awarded8 Jul 2026Advocacy and Independent Visitor Service Re-Tender for London Borough of BarnetLondon Borough of Barnet · LondonWon by Action for Children£571k
- Awarded25 Jun 2026Provision of All Age Statutory and Non-Statutory Advocacy ServicesSefton Council · North WestWon by VoiceAbility and 1 more
- Awarded19 Jun 2026Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) ServiceHome Office · LondonWon by Barnardo's£40m
- Awarded16 Jun 2026Provision of a Regional Advocacy ServiceCaerphilly County Borough Council · WalesWon by National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)£1.5m
- Awarded8 Jun 2026Advocacy Services for Looked After Children, Children with a Disability, Children in Child Protection ProcessEast Renfrewshire Council · ScotlandWon by Who Cares Scotland£225k
- Awarded1 Jun 2026PSR Direct Award C - Coram Voice advocacyCumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust · North EastWon by Coram£139k
- Awarded7 May 2026ESCC - MA - Children’s Advocacy and Independent VisitorsEast Sussex County Council · South EastWon by Reconstruct (Children and Adults Services) Ltd£450k
- Awarded21 Apr 2026Children and Young People's Advocacy and Independent Visitor ServiceCheshire East Council · North WestWon by Coram£738k
- Awarded17 Apr 2026Advocacy Services for T4 CAMHSCheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · North WestWon by Coram£16k
- Awarded14 Apr 2026Independent VisitorsNorth Yorkshire Council · Yorkshire and the HumberWon by North Yorkshire Youth Limited£83k
- Awarded1 Apr 2026Tees Independent Visitor ServiceMiddlesbrough Council · North EastWon by Changing Futures North East£780k
- Awarded30 Mar 2026Independent Advocacy (Children)Stirling Council · ScotlandWon by Who Cares Scotland£40k
- Awarded30 Mar 2026Tender for the provision of Independent Professional Advocacy Services for Children and Young PeoplePowys County Council · WalesWon by Tros Gynnal Plant£1.4m
- Awarded6 Mar 2026DOL - Children's Services Advocacy Support and Legal RepresentationScottish Government · ScotlandWon by Partners in Advocacy£1.2m
- Awarded4 Mar 2026Independent Visiting Service for Cared For Children and Young People in CumberlandCumberland Council · North WestWon by National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)£130k
- Awarded24 Feb 2026Provision of a Children's Rights and Advocacy ServiceHalton Borough Council · North WestWon by National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)£42k
- Awarded17 Feb 2026Children & Young People Advocacy and Independent Visitor ServicesStaffordshire County Council · West MidlandsWon by ASIST.£700k
- Awarded10 Feb 2026Award of Children's Advocacy ServiceScottish Borders Council · ScotlandWon by Borders Independent Advocacy Services£330k
- Awarded23 Dec 2025Independent Advocacy Service (Children)North Lanarkshire Council · ScotlandWon by Who Cares Scotland£980k
Where to bid
Where independent visitor service tenders are run
ProContract6 29%
Supplying the South West3 14%
The Chest3 14%
EU-Supply2 10%
Delta eSourcing1 5%- Other portals (6)6 29%
Tenders published in the last year that name the bid portal they run on.
National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) won the most independent visitor service contracts
Barnardo's won the most by value. Each dot is one contract, coloured by who bought it.
CouncilsNHS and healthCentral government
| Rank | Contractor | Contracts won, by buyer | Contracts | Value won | Buyers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) North West · SME · 1 framework place · See every contract | 8 | £4.2m | 6 | ||
| 2 | Coram North West · SME · See every contract | 6 | £2.9m | 6 | ||
| 3 | Who Cares Scotland Scotland · SME · See every contract | 5 | £225k | 5 | ||
| 4joint | The Children's Society South West · See every contract | 4 | £2.3m | 3 | ||
| 4joint | Reconstruct (Children and Adults Services) Ltd South West · SME · See every contract | 4 | £953k | 4 | ||
| 6joint | Barnardo's Yorkshire and the Humber · SME · 1 framework place · See every contract | 2 | £41.2m | 2 | ||
| 6joint | Partners in Advocacy Scotland · SME · See every contract | 2 | £1.2m | 2 | ||
| 6joint | Tros Gynnal Plant Wales · SME · See every contract | 2 | £1.2m | 2 | ||
| 6joint | Action for Children London · See every contract | 2 | £1m | 2 | ||
| 10joint | Changing Futures North East North East · See every contract | 1 | £780k | 1 |
12 more independent visitor service contractors ranked. See the full ranking →
Win independent visitor service contracts? Share your ranking.
Who buys
Councils award 86% of independent visitor service contracts
Contracts with a published value in the last 2 years, from the type of buyer to the size of the contract.
7 buyers bought independent visitor service more than once in the last 2 years
Each dot is a buyer, by how many independent visitor service contracts it awarded in the last 2 years.
See who they are and when they usually buy →
Few and big, or many and small
Each dot is a buyer: how many independent visitor service contracts it awarded against what they were worth. The busiest and biggest are named.
CouncilsNHS and healthCentral government
Top buyers by contracts awarded
| Rank | Buyer | Contracts | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lancashire County Council | 2 | £2.1m |
| 2 | Middlesbrough Council | 2 | £1.4m |
| 3 | North Lanarkshire Council | 2 | £980k |
| 4 | NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde | 2 | £500k |
| 5 | Wigan Council | 2 | £311k |
| 6 | Torbay Council | 2 | £299k |
| 7 | Halton Borough Council | 2 | £87k |
| 8 | Home Office | 1 | £40m |
| 9 | Nottingham City Council | 1 | £1.8m |
| 10 | Caerphilly County Borough Council | 1 | £1.5m |
164 independent visitor service contracts awarded since 2021
- 252021
- 292022
- 352023
- 272024
- 192025
- 292026 so far
Prices
Half of independent visitor service contracts are worth less than £375k
CouncilsNHS and healthCentral government
The 10 biggest independent visitor service contracts
- Home OfficeBarnardo's · 19 Jun 2026
- Nottingham City CouncilThe Children's Society · 14 Jan 2025
- Caerphilly County Borough CouncilNational Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) · 16 Jun 2026
- Powys County CouncilTros Gynnal Plant · 30 Mar 2026
- The City of Edinburgh CouncilWho Cares Scotland · 17 Jul 2026
- Scottish GovernmentPartners in Advocacy · 6 Mar 2026
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough CouncilTros Gynnal Plant · 24 Jul 2025
- Leeds City CouncilBarnardo's · 15 Oct 2026
- Lancashire County CouncilNational Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) · 28 Jan 2025
- Lancashire County CouncilNational Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) · 6 Mar 2025
Renewing contracts
9 independent visitor service contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months
5 in the next 6 months. The 3 ending soonest are shown in full.
Ends Mar 2027
Advocacy Services: Lot 1 - Children's Advocacy, Independent Visitors & Care Leavers Services and Lot 2 - Adult's Advocacy Service. Ref.: I-1841
Oxfordshire County Council · South East · 3-year contract
Held by Community Connex, VoiceAbility
Ends Mar 2027
CP2296-22 Statutory Social Care and Health (NHS) Complaints Advocacy Service for Adults and Children in Devon and Torbay
Devon County Council · South West · 33-month contract
Held by Disability Together, National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS)
Independent visitor service contract for an NHS bodyNorth WestUnder £100kEnds Mar 2027
Independent visitor service contract for a councilNorth WestUnder £100kEnds Mar 2027
Independent visitor service contract for a councilSouth East£100k to £1mEnds Jun 2027
Independent visitor service contract for a councilSouth West£1m or moreEnds Jul 2027
Independent visitor service contract for a councilSouth EastUnder £100kEnds Aug 2027
Independent visitor service contract for a councilScotland£100k to £1mEnds Sep 2027
Where and when
The North West awards the most independent visitor service contracts. March and July are the busiest months.
Contracts by region and by month awarded. Click a region to filter the page.
FewerMore contracts
The regions as a table
| Region | Open now | Contracts | Value | Typical contract | Won the most | Bought the most | Renewing in 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North West | 3 | 13 | £4.4m | £168k | National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) (5) | Lancashire County Council, Wigan Council and 1 more (2 each) | 2 |
| Scotland | 2 | 10 | £4.9m | £250k | Who Cares Scotland (5) | North Lanarkshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (2 each) | 1 |
| London | 1 | 5 | £41.8m | £450k | Action for Children (2) | – | 1 |
| North East | 0 | 4 | £1.7m | £395k | – | Middlesbrough Council (2) | 0 |
| South West | 1 | 4 | £802k | £299k | Reconstruct (Children and Adults Services) Ltd and The Children's Society (2 each) | Torbay Council (2) | 2 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 0 | 3 | £1.4m | £185k | – | – | 0 |
| West Midlands | 0 | 3 | £1.7m | £700k | – | – | 0 |
| South East | 0 | 3 | £640k | £188k | – | – | 3 |
| Wales | 0 | 3 | £4.1m | £1.4m | Tros Gynnal Plant (2) | – | 0 |
| East Midlands | 0 | 2 | £2.2m | – | – | – | 0 |
| East of England | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
| Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | Not published | – | – | – | 0 |
Often bought with independent visitor service
Related services
Key findings
- £970k a month
of independent visitor service contracts awarded.
Typical contract £389k x 2.5 contracts a month, last 12 months. - 2.1
independent visitor service contracts are awarded in a typical month.
50 contracts in the last 2 years. - 5
independent visitor service contracts come up for renewal in the next 6 months.
Recurring contracts with a named supplier and a published end date before 5 May 2027. - 2
frameworks and DPSs are running for independent visitor service work.
0 open to join now. - 69%
of independent visitor service contracts are won by SMEs.
As recorded by the buyer, on 39 award notices.
How many independent visitor service tenders and contracts are there?
| Last 12 months | Since November 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Notices published | 106 | 488 |
| Contracts awarded | 30 | 141 |
20 independent visitor service contracts and frameworks end in the next 12 months, 20 of them recurring services. In the last two years, 43 buyers awarded independent visitor service contracts to 22 suppliers.
Source: Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI, to 4 November 2026. By Seamus White. How we count
Questions
How many independent visitor service contracts does the UK public sector award?
50 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, from 43 public buyers.
How long are independent visitor service tenders open for?
The median independent visitor service tender is open for 31 days from publication to deadline.
How much is a typical public sector independent visitor service contract worth?
The median is £375k, and 38% are worth less than £250k.
Who wins the most public sector independent visitor service contracts?
National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) won the most (8). Barnardo's won the most by value (£41.2m).
Which buyers award the most independent visitor service contracts?
Councils award 86% of them.
Which part of the UK awards the most independent visitor service contracts?
The North West: 13 of 50 in the 2 years to 4 November 2026, then Scotland (10) and London (5).
How many independent visitor service contracts come up for renewal in the next 12 months?
9 contracts end and are likely to be re-let, the first on 31 March 2027.
What is included
Independent advocacy for children and young people, especially children in care, care leavers, children in child protection and under-18 mental health patients, and recruiting, matching and supporting volunteer independent visitors who befriend looked-after children.
- Advocacy for looked-after children and care leavers
- Statutory children's advocacy
- Children's advocacy for children's hearings (Scotland)
- Advocacy for under-18 mental health inpatients
- Independent visitor services
- Regional independent visitor contracts
What is not included
- Advocacy for parents in child protection (see Independent advocacy for adults (IMCA, IMHA, Care Act, NHS complaints and community advocacy))
- All-age advocacy hubs covering children (see Independent advocacy for adults (IMCA, IMHA, Care Act, NHS complaints and community advocacy))
- Regulation 44 visits to children's homes (see Independent complaint investigations, review panels and Regulation 44 visits)
- Youth mentoring (see Youth clubs)