NWL0008 Deaf Awareness, Hearing Aid Support and Advocacy Service - Harrow

NWL CCG, requires a locally based support service in Harrow for those requiring deaf awareness services and hearing aid support and maintenance as well as an advocacy service for those with learning disabilities and mental health issues.

Key services required include:

1.Deaf Awareness and Hearing Aid Support

-Train professionals, family members and friends in Deaf Awareness and hearing aid management which will enable them to communicate more effectively with deaf and hard of hearing people. -Offer counselling to Hard of Hearing people so they gain confidence in wearing their hearing aids.

-Train hearing aid users to maintain their own hearing aids where possible.

-Ensure hearing aid users who are given hearing aids continue to wear them.

-Support clients to fully take part in hospital appointments and other social situations.

-Provide basic maintenance and reduce pressure on the Audiology Departments.

2.Advocacy Service

-Advocacy Service addresses inequalities and supports people to have their needs met significantly including mental and physical health needs. -The service provides case work advocacy, and support for self-advocacy, to access social services for disabled people with long term health conditions. -Advocacy case work, for example: form filling; funding for services; housing issues; support through the pandemic.

-Signposting and other guidance and support.

The CCG currently has a contract in place with The Harrow Association of Disabled People (HAD) to provide the above services. The term of this contract is 18 months, 1st October 2021 - 31st March 2023 (value: £40,230.00) during which time, the CCG will assess the needs of the service users and consider how (if relevant) it needs to: -Secure the needs of the people who use the services.

-Improve the quality of the services.

-Improve the efficiency in the provision of the services including through the services being provided in an integrated way.

NWL CCG is currently of the view that the services described are capable of being provided only by HAD as there are no other providers in the community with regards to the hearing aid support element, apart from the Audiology department, which this service supports. With regards to advocacy service there may be an option for more integration for mental health and learning disability with existing VSO contracts.

If it is the case that HAD is the only provider capable of delivering the services described, then the CCG will look to award a further contract to HAD for up to 2 years starting on 1st April 2023.

The purpose of this notice is to be transparent about the CCG's intentions and to invite anyone interested in delivering the services described above to contact us by 1st March 2022.

During 2022, it is anticipated that NWL CCG will be succeeded by an Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any future contract and/or procurement opportunity may therefore be in the name of the ICB.