Healthwatch

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) is inviting bids from such suitable organisations (as described below) with the capability and capacity to provide a Local Healthwatch Service from 1st April 2024.

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 sets down a statutory requirement for the provision of a Healthwatch function to act as the consumer champion for people using publicly-funded health and social care services.

It is anticipated that the contract will commence on 01/04/2024 and will run for an initial period of 3 years making the expiry date 31/03/2027. The contract will have an option to extend by a further 1 year at the sole discretion of the Council and subject to the continued statutory requirement and funding making the latest possible expiry date 31/03/2028.

The successful provider will be allocated the full budget of £161,262 per annum available for this service. The budget is fixed and firm for the full duration of the contract including the extension term. The initial contract value equates to £483,786. The total contract value including the additional one-year extension equates to £645,048.

The incumbent supplier of this service considers that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended by the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 apply to this contract.

Local Healthwatch must be provided by an organisation which is a social enterprise as defined by legislation:

Regardless of the legal structure of the organisation, it can only be a social enterprise if a person might reasonably consider that it acts for the benefit of the community in England.

Certain political activities are also prevented, by legislation, from falling within this definition.

The organisation must fall into one of the following three categories:

1. Companies limited by guarantee and registered as a charity
2. Community Interest Companies (CIC)
3. Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO)

Or have a constitution which:

Ensures that over 50% of its distributable profits in each financial year will be used for Healthwatch activities.

Contains a statement or condition that the local Healthwatch is carrying out its activities for the benefit of the community in England.

Contains specified provisions relating to the distribution of assets in the event of the body being dissolved or wound up.

The Council is committed to a performance and evidence-based approach to Social Value and has partnered with the Social Value Portal (SVP) to assist in the delivery of this. Based on the National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) developed by the Social Value Portal, bidders are required to propose credible commitments against which performance (for the successful bidder) will be monitored.