Children and Young Peoples' Mental Health; Education and Training Fund 2017/18 - Vulnerable Groups - Health Education England - NHS/SoEPS/16.299

A core element of transforming children and young people's mental health to 2020 is the requirement for local areas to produce joint-agency Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) that set out their vision for transformation of services to 2020. The first plans were submitted in November 2015 and are now refreshed annually as part of business planning cycles. These plans are intended not only to give direction to a multitude of local services working together to improve children and young people's mental health outcomes; they are also a mechanism for local transparency around mental health services, requiring Health and Wellbeing Board sign-off and publication to embed transparency and accountability.

Health Education England (HEE) has secured funding to support workforce transformation, development and training that is intended to improve the mental health outcomes for children and young people with extra vulnerabilities. The fund is intended to encourage and support initiatives that will contribute to workforce development through education and training, and we expect to be assessing applications from a wide range of organisations.

Suitably qualified bidders are invited to tender for the delivery of this vision. Applicants are advised to read the guidance documents carefully to ensure they are familiar with the nature and extent of the obligations to be accepted by them if their tender is successful. HEE will be looking for ways in which projects contribute to the vision for children and young people's mental health set out in Future in Mind and The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. In particular, HEE is looking for projects that will positively improve the workforce involved in the care of children and young people with extra vulnerabilities.

Children and young people with extra vulnerabilities covers:

1. Children and young people who have greater vulnerability to mental health problems but who find it more difficult to access help (Chapter 6, Future in Mind, 2015)
2. Those with increased vulnerability to mental health problems because of their circumstances, background or experiences and who can also struggle to access services

Vulnerable CYP includes but IS NOT restricted to the following groups:

CYP in the Secure Estate or in contact with the Youth Justice System

CYP with LD/ASC/Neurodevelopmental disorders

Gang members

Looked after Children & Young People, CYP under a Special Guardianship Order or Arrangement Order, care leavers, adopted CYP, unaccompanied asylum-seeking CYP, CYP in contact with Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Please note is this not an exhaustive list and HEE welcomes applications related to a wide range of vulnerable CYP groups.

Additional information: Bidders are invited to access the procurement documentation at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning. The deadline for submission of completed ITT submissions is Monday 23 January 2017 at 12:00pm (midday). Project title: Children and Young Peoples' Mental Health; Education and Training Fund 2017/18 - Vulnerable Groups - Health Education England, please access the ITT for all documents. Should Bidders have any e-portal queries, or are having problems using the e-portal, they should contact the In-tend dedicated Supplier Helpdesk by calling 0845 557 8079 Monday to Friday (9am to 6pm) or email support@in-tend.co.uk.

During the tender exercise the Contracting Authority requests that all communications are channelled through the appointed procurement specialist on behalf of NHS South of England Procurement Services and not with the Contracting Authority itself. All communications should be made via the messaging function on the In-tend E-Tendering portal.

No Bidder, Bidder Member, or any of such Bidder's advisors, consultants or subcontractors may have ex parte communications with the Contracting Authority or any of their employees, advisors, contractors or consultants regarding the ITT, the Procurement, other than as expressly permitted in this ITT.