NHS England & NHS Improvement South East - Prior information notice for the provision of Life Planning Services

This notice is placed as a Prior Information Notice with regards to Life Planning Services on behalf of NHS England and Improvement (NHSEI) South East to determine potential provider capability and capacity to deliver this service. Publication or response to this notice does not commit commissioners or respondents to award any contracts or to any future procurement.

The Life Planning service has been commissioned as a direct response to the National Response to Winterbourne View: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/transform-care-nxt-stps.pdf

Building the Right Support, published in October 2015, is a national plan to develop community services and close inpatient facilities for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. It gives commissioners a clear framework to develop more community services for people with learning disabilities and/ or autism who display behaviours that challenge, including those with a mental health condition, and close some inpatient facilities.

On 28th November 2018 and 17th December 2018, respectively, the Supreme Court handed down its judgments in relation to the following two linked cases:

1. Secretary of State for Justice (Respondent) v MM (Appellant) [2018] UKSC 60
2. Welsh Ministers v PJ [2018] UKSC 66

There has continued to be concern raised nationally about the impact of these judgments on the ability or otherwise to discharge some patients from hospital into the community, in particular those with learning disabilities, autism, or both. However, the judgment also has the potential to have an impact on the care of patients with mental illness and personality disorder and is a challenge where people who present high-risk behaviours are detained in hospital, have come into the system via the criminal courts and are subject to restrictions under section 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

The NHS long term plan continues to reflect government policy in maintaining a commitment to people with learning disabilities, autism or both, who have a mental illness or whose behaviour challenges services, with a particular focus on reducing the need for long term detention in hospital and meeting their needs wherever possible in the community.

Life Planning is a person-centred approach. Starting with the person and their family, the Life Planner will work with, and listen to those who know them best by helping people to understand the person's story, strengths, interests, skills and hopes for the future. From this both a Life Plan and a Support Plan is developed. The Life Plan will be deliverable, fit for purpose and detail who the person is, what they like doing, what they are good at, their network of support, how they want to live and who they want to live with (if anyone). The support plan outlines how a person should be supported to have a safe, meaningful and fulfilling life.

Additional information: Evidence from programmes across the country have shown that a process known as Life Planning (also known as Service Design) is effective at:

Life Planning in the context of this notice conforms to the principles described in Keys to Citizenship by Dr Simon Duffy (Paradigm, 2003) An updated guide outlines the key principles and can be found at: http://www.centreforwelfarereform.org/uploads/attachment/527/citizenship-a-guide-for-providers-of-support.pdf

NHSE South region previously commissioned the delivery of 100 Life Plans during the period September 2017 to June 2019. It is anticipated that a future recommissioning of Life Planning services will take place after 1st April 2021, to deliver Life Plans for people in placements that are currently commissioned by NHSEI South East region (secure hospital and children's specialist inpatient services).

The primary outcomes of the service include:

At this time, commissioners would like to determine the potential level of provider interest and are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from providers who have the capability and capacity to undertake such a contract (and would wish to take to part in a potential procurement exercise).

To express an interest in potentially delivering these services in future, please register on the In-Tend portal at this address https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/ProjectManage/1271 and submit a completed Market Engagement Questionnaire by 12pm on Friday 26th February 2021.

This notice is an information gathering exercise rather than a call for competition in its own right, and therefore publication or response does not commit commissioners or respondents to a future procurement, nor provide any process exemptions or preferential treatment to any parties expressing an interest. Commissioners will not be liable for costs incurred by any interested party in participating in this exercise.