Lancashire and South Cumbria CCGs - Individual Placement Support Service (IPS)

Blackburn with Darwen CCG is acting as co-ordinating commissioner on behalf of all Lancashire and South Cumbria CCGs as part of the Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria shared vision to improve services and work towards a healthier future for the 1.8m people living in the region.

The aim of this contract opportunity is to support those individuals under the care of the local Early Intervention Psychosis (EIP) teams to source meaningful and sustainable employment. Work opportunities promote good mental health and wellbeing and support recovery. Work is noted to have both psychological and economic benefits. Employment is viewed as an important outcome of treatment of mental illness within a health setting.

Mental health services are urged to adopt a co-ordinated approach to meet individual needs which includes access to employment. "Working our Way to Better Mental Health - A Framework for Action" (DOH 2009) is a cross government (health, work and wellbeing) national mental health and employment strategy; it adopts a dual approach in addressing both wellbeing and work for everyone and better employment outcomes for people with mental health conditions both in and out of work.

The required services are specific to the Early Intervention Psychosis pathway and the successful bidder will work with Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT) who provide EIP services to the eight CCGs in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The location of the successful bidder's premises is not mandated by the CCGs however the successful bidder will form close links with the LSCFT EIP service teams.

The services are required for a period of 12 months commencing 1st April 2020. A service review including contractual and financial performance will take place during 2020 and will inform the future IPS commissioning and procurement plan for 2021 onwards. Potential providers should refer to the Service Specification and the draft NHS Standard Contract within the procurement documentation for a detailed description of the commissioning background; aims and objectives of the service and the specific requirements of the successful provider.

The geographical locations of service provision will be arranged by mutual agreement between the parties with consideration to patient needs and efficient service provision.

The deadline for submissions is 12pm on Friday 14th February 2020.

Further information is available from https://mlcsu.bravosolution.co.uk.

Additional information: This procurement is for Social and other specific services which are Light Touch Regime services for the purpose of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as specified in Schedule 3 of the Regulations ('Regulations') http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/schedule/3/made

Accordingly, the Contracting Authority is only bound by those parts of the Regulations detailed in Chapter 3 Particular Procurement Regimes Section 7 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/102/part/2/chapter/3/made

The Contracting Authority is not voluntarily following any other part of the Regulations.

As the CCG is a relevant body for the purpose of the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No 2) Regulations 2013 these Regulations also apply to this procurement.

Right to Cancel: The Contracting Authority reserves the right to discontinue the procurement process at any time, which shall include the right not to award a contract or contracts, and does not bind itself to accept the lowest tender, or any tender received, and reserves the right to award a contract in part, or to call for new tenders should it consider this necessary.

The Contracting Authority shall not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by any candidate or tenderer in connection with the completion and return of the information requested in this Contract Notice, or in the completion or submission of any tender, irrespective of the outcome of the competition or if the competition is cancelled or postponed.

All dates, time periods and values specified in this notice are provisional and the Contracting Authority reserves the right to change these.

Transparency: The Contracting Authority is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR) and may be required to disclose information received in the course of this procurement under FOIA or the EIR.

In addition, and in accordance with the UK Government's policies on transparency, the contracting authority intends to publish procurement documentation and the text of any resulting contractual arrangements, subject to possible redactions at the discretion of the Contracting Authority.

Any redactions, whether in relation to information requests under FOIA, the EIR or policies on transparency will be in accordance with those grounds prescribed under the Freedom of Information Act. If this requirement is offered to tender, this will be done via electronic means using the internet. Midlands and Lancashire CSU is conducting this procurement exercise as a central purchasing body for another NHS body with whom the successful bidder(s) will enter into contracts for the supply of the services.

Any other public-sector body detailed within this notice, wishing to access the contract may do so only with permission from the contracting NHS body.

Further details will be made available via documentation