Avon and Somerset Sexual Assault and Abuse Therapeutic Services

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) is exploring options for the future commissioning of Sexual Assault and Abuse Therapeutic Services for the Avon and Somerset area. The information you provide will be used to inform the next steps of the commissioning process.

The draft financial envelope to deliver this core Avon and Somerset Service is in line with the current service description financial envelope and is £250,000 per annum with an additional £63,000 specifically ring-fenced for provision within the BNSSG Area. The future specification may be scaled up and/or adapted with additional funds from local commissioners to help create equity of access and respond to local population needs.

A Health Needs Assessment (HNA) was completed in 2021. This captured the context and landscape of sexual assault and abuse therapeutic services across the South West and made recommendations for future commissioning and delivery. This contract represents a small proportion of the Avon and Somerset therapeutic provision for people who have experienced sexual assault and abuse, with many existing services attracting the majority of their funding through charitable and/ or statutory sources.

In Avon and Somerset, commissioners from a number of organisations with a stake in this pathway including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Bristol City Council, BNSSG CCG, Somerset CCG, BaNES CCG and NHS England, have joined together to consider recommendations from the HNA and respond to the challenges and opportunities. They have worked with external facilitators to agree priorities and objectives and to identify best practice in this field and are considering how this recommissioning exercise can be designed to best meet the needs of survivors.

As the next stage in this process, commissioners would like to hear from suitably qualified, capable and competent organisations and/or partnerships who would be interested in delivering services in the future.

The outputs from the market engagement exercise will help to inform the contract award approach for a new contract which is planned to commence from 1st April 2023. Please note that dates and financial envelopes are subject to change

Providers who are interested in delivering these services are invited to express their interest by emailing their completed market engagement questionnaire to Caitlin.dyke@nhs.net

Interested parties should note that a response to this Notice does not guarantee an automatic invitation to participate in any subsequent formal process.

This processed is being managed by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner(s).

Additional information: The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).