Counselling Services (NHS Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group) – Market Engagement

Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is inviting potential providers to be involved in a market engagement exercise to support the CCG in relation to commissioning counselling services that are responsive to the needs of the local population.

Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. They are delivered by qualified practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing.

Aims and objectives of service will be:

• To provide a primary care counselling service to individuals experiencing emotional or psychological distress for whom counselling is the appropriate intervention
• To offer a choice of approaches to meet the required outcomes of the client
• To provide quality services and positive outcomes
• Improve the mental health and well-being of the community
• Promote preventative and recovery interventions
• Reduce stigma towards mental illness
• Work in partnership with general practice, primary care and community clinicians to deliver a seamless transition through the primary care and community pathway
• Work in partnership with local Improving Access to Psychological Therapy Services, managing clients who do not meet caseness. (See section 3.4 of the service specification which outlines the caseness criteria).

From experience of current service delivery the range of some of the issues we would expect the service to support clients with may be:

• Depression
• Low mood
• Abuse
• Addiction
• Anger problems
• Anxiety
• Bereavement
• Bullying or harassment
• Culturally specific issues
• Domestic violence
• Family Issues

The CCG aims to support the Strategic Mental Health Outcomes which were developed during 2015 in collaboration with other Birmingham commissioners:

• Prevent: Preventing mental health problems and getting help earlier, for people starting to suffer poor mental wellbeing.
• Protect: those who are most vulnerable from the adverse effects of mental health problems.
• Manage: preventing mental health crises and managing them better when they do happen.
• Recover: helping people with mental health problems to recover back into everyday life.

The CCG is requesting that potential providers complete a questionnaire to help inform their commissioning strategy.

Details of how to access this form and further instructions can be found in the additional text section below.

Additional information: The CCG aims to support the Strategic Mental Health Outcomes which were developed during 2015 in collaboration with Birmingham CrossCity CCG, Birmingham South and Central CCG, Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Forward Thinking Birmingham, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probations, National Probation Service, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Health and Wellbeing Board and West Midlands Police (2015):

• Prevent: Preventing mental health problems and getting help earlier, for people starting to suffer poor mental wellbeing.
• Protect: those who are most vulnerable from the adverse effects of mental health problems.
• Manage: preventing mental health crises and managing them better when they do happen.
• Recover: helping people with mental health problems to recover back into everyday life.

To help inform their commissioning and procurement strategy the CCG is requesting that potential providers complete and submit a market engagement questionnaire.

If providers are interested in being part of this engagement, they will be required to register on the Midlands and Lancashire CSU (MLCSU) Bravo eProcurement portal.

Providers will be required to complete and submit a questionnaire relating to the service by 17:00 on Wednesday 2nd March 2016.

The questionnaire and further information can be obtained by registering on the MLCSU Bravo eProcurement portal as follows:

To register and access further information and the questionnaire please go to https://mlcsu.bravosolution.co.uk you will then need to login or register if you are a new user. Once logged in please select PQQ_416 and complete and submit as required.

For Technical Support in relation to the Bravo eProcurment portal contact the BravoSolution Help-Desk on 0800 368 4850 or help@bravosolution.co.uk