Framework for Residential /nursing Care For Older People
Framework Description
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council's Framework Agreement for Residential Care and Nursing Care of Older People (reference 2021/2022) covers care home places for older people across the borough. It was first advertised in 2023, and the council has continued to award places, with contracts recorded in October 2025 and January 2026. It is a single framework with no lots.
Context & Use Case
The council's adult social care commissioners use it to place older people who need residential or nursing care in homes across Barnsley. In January 2026 it published a change notice linked to early adoption of the National Living Wage increase and a fee uplift, aimed at the recruitment and retention pressures facing care providers.
Scope of Services
Residential care for older people Nursing care for older people Care home placements across the Barnsley borough
Lots
See framework link
Who Can Apply
Registered care home providers in Barnsley offering residential or nursing care for older people. Places have been awarded to further providers as recently as January 2026, so contact the council's procurement team to check whether it is accepting applications and how to apply.
Buyer Benefits
The council needs enough quality care home places for older people at sustainable fee levels. A framework with providers added over time gives it capacity across the borough, and the recent fee uplift shows it is responding to workforce costs that affect placement stability.
Next Steps
Read the change notice on Find a Tender (006409-2026) and the original 2023 notice it references. Contact procurement@barnsley.gov.uk or check the council's EU-Supply portal to ask about joining. Prepare CQC registration and ratings, staffing and training evidence, and your fee position.
How Athena Can Help
For care home operators, a place on a council framework opens the door to placements, but applications are judged on quality evidence as much as price. Athena's care framework application support prepares your submission, policies and CQC evidence with a compliance check.
Our fee and bid strategy advice helps you set a sustainable price, and our bid writing and quality review strengthens answers on safeguarding, staffing and outcomes before you submit.
