Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS NORTH CENTRAL LONDON ICB
Laycock PDC
LONDON
N11TH
Contact
Strategy And Population Health
nclicb.nclcontractqueries@nhs.net
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKI43 - Haringey and Islington
Justification for not providing organisation identifier
Not on any register
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://nclhealthandcare.org.uk/
one.4) Type of the contracting authority
Body governed by public law
one.5) Main activity
Health
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Universal Family/Care Leavers Programme
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The NHS Universal Family Programme (the Programme) aims to provide a range of employment opportunities for care leavers across the NHS in England. The Programme embodies the NHS's commitment to meet the aims of the National Care Leaver Covenant to help care leavers live independently.
Care leavers are young people aged over 16 leaving local authority care. According to the Department for Education, in 2022/23, there were 48,050 care leavers in England now aged 17 to 21, of which 64% were male.
Supporting young care leavers aligns with the NHS's broader strategic objectives by contributing to a more equitable and socially responsible organisation. These efforts help mitigate the social and economic disadvantages that care leavers often face, leading to improved health and wellbeing outcomes for this vulnerable group.
NCL ICB and ICS want all care leavers to live happy and healthy lives that enable them to grow and thrive. As a good corporate parent, we want to raise the aspirations of our care leavers, by supporting them to fulfil their own ambitions and dreams by helping them to overcome the difficulties they may face.
By investing in the potential of care leavers, the NCL partners can tap into a valuable talent pool, addressing workforce shortages and enhancing service delivery. A workforce that includes care leavers is likely to be more culturally competent and capable of delivering high-quality care to diverse populations.
The strategic support for young care leavers reinforces the NHS's commitment to social responsibility, diversity, and excellence in healthcare provision and will be necessary to meet the growth needed in the future. NCL partner organisations will be doing more to recruit care leavers from the North Central London labour market, particularly into entry level health and care roles.
NHSE funding is offered to support Care Leavers via the Universal Family Programme in collaboration with NCL ICB, the national delivery partner of the Dept. for Education-funded 'Care Leaver Covenant' programme and one of the design and delivery partners for the NHS Universal Family programme.
This pilot project aims to:
• work with a specialist social media marketing partner to enhance targeting
• focus on specialist recruitment of vulnerable youth groups who face barriers to meaningful employment
• nurture hidden talent and foster enduring success, helping our candidates not just to find jobs, but to thrive in them
• Source and support 25 Young Care Leavers into employment
• Provide wrap around support to employers of care leavers that are a part of the programme
• Provide wrap around support to care leavers to who are in pre-employment stages and up to a minimum 12 weeks after taking up employment
• Adapt and improve service delivery as the pilot progresses
• Provide a project evaluation at the end of the pilot.
NCL ICB is recognised as a Care Leavers Pathfinder. Therefore, we will contribute to the national Universal Family programme to share learning and support improvement and sustainable of care leavers support offers.
two.1.6) Information about lots
This contract is divided into lots: No
two.1.7) Total value of the procurement (excluding VAT)
Value excluding VAT: £100,000
two.2) Description
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKI - London
Main site or place of performance
The Universal Family Programme Service Provider will partner with our 5 Local Authority partners, 11 NHS Trusts, voluntary sector services and interested partners to support care leavers into employment.
Therefore, services will be delivered at multiple locations across the 5 Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington. There will also be remote working.
The NCL Universal Family Programme must be mobilised across all boroughs by the 1st April 2025.
two.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Universal Family Programme requires an urgent contract award to secure funding and operationalise full service delivery by 1st April 2025.
The commissioner has identified only one provider who has worked with a number of pathfinder systems to capture the learning.
The commissioner believes that this provider has a tried and tested programme ready to meet the funding requirements.
The service provider would be able to mobilise the service fully by 1 April 2025 across all 5 NCL Boroughs as per NHSE deadlines and timescales.
The service provider will receive payment of 75% upfront on commissioning. The additional 25% of the funding amount will be payment by result dependent.
two.2.11) Information about options
Options: Yes
Description of options
To receive this contract award, the service providers must meet all the project aims and have a full team ready to operationalise the programme on 1st April 2025 until the duration of the programme.
Section four. Procedure
four.1) Description
four.1.1) Type of procedure
Award of a contract without prior publication of a call for competition in the cases listed below
- The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the regulations
Explanation:
The commissioner believes that the collaboration with Twenty-Five/7 Spectra to deliver this Universal Family Programme pilot will ensure smooth project delivery.
To reiterate, an urgent contract is required for the immediate pilot delivery. Twenty-Five/7 Spectra has all resources in place and is working with a number of ICBs to deliver this pilot. All staffing resources and infrastructure is in place ready to roll out the pilot.
four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)
The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Title
Twenty-Five/7 Spectra Pilot
A contract/lot is awarded: Yes
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract
18 February 2025
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
Twenty-Five/7 Spectra
38-39 Chubb Buildings Fryer Street
Wolverhampton
WV1 1HT
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
Companies House
09191219
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession: £100,000
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
NHS North Central London ICB
London
Country
United Kingdom