Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB
Charter House Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Contact
Esther Pettigew
Country
United Kingdom
Region code
UKH23 - Hertfordshire
Internet address(es)
Main address
https://hertsandwestessex.icb.nhs.uk
Buyer's address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.2) Description
two.2.1) Title
Affinity Vanguard - Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)
- 85100000 - Health services
two.2.3) Place of performance
NUTS codes
- UKH23 - Hertfordshire
two.2.4) Description of the procurement at the time of conclusion of the contract:
The purpose of this Notice is to confirm the award HCRG contract with additional funding across the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board (HWE ICB).
During 2021/22 West Essex became a Vanguard site to apply the framework for integrated care; this provided an opportunity for education, health and care, and health and justice partners to work together and design a service model across Southend Essex and Thurrock (SET) for a cohort of highly vulnerable children and young people (CYP) between the ages of 5 -16 with complex needs and who experience some of the highest levels of health inequality.
The framework is designed using evidence-informed best practice, the aim of the Vanguard is to promote collaboration across services to integrate and deliver trauma-informed care. The basis for the service model is to integrate education and mental health services, intervene earlier in the pathway and stop children and young people’s progression into the youth justice and secure estate, an unnecessary Tier 4 hospital admission, or other inappropriate out of area placement. A key objective for the Vanguard is to ensure that children and young people are enabled to lead an improved purpose in life including education, that they are supported by staff to re-enter/remain in mainstream education where appropriate, and to enjoy and achieve through positive learning experiences.
West Essex (now Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)) is one of three Vanguard sites in the first wave. The Vanguard is delivered by HCRG Care Services Ltd (HCRG) (formerly Virgin Care) on behalf of West Essex on a pan Essex footprint and has received national interest.
Funding was awarded by NHSE Health and Justice for a period of three years. The Vanguard is now in its 2nd operational year and has been very successful, and effective; schools are requesting further support. Demand is outstripping capacity and the service has now ceased accepting any new referrals during 2022/23.
Being a Vanguard, and a totally new service developed to address the previously unmet emotional and behavioral need in this group of CYP, commissioning partners across the 3 ICBs could not have possibly known the likely demand, which has been consistent since mobilization in September 2021
It was agreed that the service provider, HCRG, required additional resource in recognition of the Vanguards success and current high demand; the SET Executive Collaborative Commissioning Forum (Exec CCF) agreed to utilize surplus 2022/23 LTP funding value £207,113 on a non-recurrent basis to address the current contractual cost pressure and alleviate the need for temporarily ceasing referrals into the service. The additional investment during 2022/23 would enable the Affinity Vanguard to support an additional 172 CYP in an educational setting across the three ICB footprints covering Essex.
The decision to proceed with completion of this Waiver Form and award HCRG additional funding was formally approved at the meeting of the SET Exec CCF on 30th November 2022 and endorsed by West Essex Senior Management Team (SMT) on 19th December 2022.
The contract hosted by Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB as the lead commissioner and covered by this Waiver Form is:
• HCRG Care Services Ltd (HCRG)
• Service Provider since September 2021
• Current contract value £422,083 per annum (excludes VAT)
• Service Description
Affinity Vanguard - schools and family work to improve CYP wellbeing, displaying direct improvement in their mental health, emotional regulation and well being
Cumulative value of spend for this contract to date with HCRG is £814,298 (excluding the value of this waiver). The original contract was approved via a waiver (reference number 242) through West Essex CCG with a total value of £1,266,249. The discrepancy in the value of the contract from the original waiver is noted, this is as the first year was not mobilized until part year, therefore the actual cost is lower.
two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
End date
31 March 2023
two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds
The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No
Section five. Award of contract/concession
Contract No
1
Title
Affinity Vanguard - Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
five.2) Award of contract/concession
five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract/concession award decision:
11 April 2023
five.2.2) Information about tenders
The contract/concession has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No
five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
HCRG (formerly Virgin)
66 Porchester Road
London
W2 6ET
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
Internet address
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
five.2.4) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (at the time of conclusion of the contract;excluding VAT)
Total value of the procurement: £1,157,880
Section six. Complementary information
six.4) Procedures for review
six.4.1) Review body
High Court of Justice England and Wales
The Strand
London
WC2A 2LL
Country
United Kingdom
six.4.4) Service from which information about the review procedure may be obtained
NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board
Charter House, Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
AL8 6JL
Country
United Kingdom
Internet address
Section seven: Modifications to the contract/concession
seven.1) Description of the procurement after the modifications
seven.1.1) Main CPV code
- 85100000 - Health services
seven.1.3) Place of performance
NUTS code
- UKH23 - Hertfordshire
seven.1.4) Description of the procurement:
West Essex (now Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)) is one of three Vanguard sites in the first wave. The Vanguard is delivered by HCRG Care Services Ltd (HCRG) (formerly Virgin Care) on behalf of West Essex on a pan Essex footprint and has received national interest.
seven.1.5) Duration of the contract, framework agreement, dynamic purchasing system or concession
End date
31 March 2023
seven.1.6) Information on value of the contract/lot/concession (excluding VAT)
Total value of the contract/lot/concession:
£1,157,880
seven.1.7) Name and address of the contractor/concessionaire
HCRG (formerly Virgin)
66 Porchester Road
London
W2 6ET
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
- UKI - London
Internet address
https://healthcaregateway.co.uk/
The contractor/concessionaire is an SME
No
seven.2) Information about modifications
seven.2.1) Description of the modifications
Nature and extent of the modifications (with indication of possible earlier changes to the contract):
During 2021/22 West Essex became a Vanguard site to apply the framework for integrated care; this provided an opportunity for education, health and care, and health and justice partners to work together and design a service model across Southend Essex and Thurrock (SET) for a cohort of highly vulnerable children and young people (CYP) between the ages of 5 -16 with complex needs and who experience some of the highest levels of health inequality.
The framework is designed using evidence-informed best practice, the aim of the Vanguard is to promote collaboration across services to integrate and deliver trauma-informed care. The basis for the service model is to integrate education and mental health services, intervene earlier in the pathway and stop children and young people’s progression into the youth justice and secure estate, an unnecessary Tier 4 hospital admission, or other inappropriate out of area placement. A key objective for the Vanguard is to ensure that children and young people are enabled to lead an improved purpose in life including education, that they are supported by staff to re-enter/remain in mainstream education where appropriate, and to enjoy and achieve through positive learning experiences.
West Essex (now Herts and West Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB)) is one of three Vanguard sites in the first wave. The Vanguard is delivered by HCRG Care Services Ltd (HCRG) (formerly Virgin Care) on behalf of West Essex on a pan Essex footprint and has received national interest.
Funding was awarded by NHSE Health and Justice for a period of three years. The Vanguard is now in its 2nd operational year and has been very successful, and effective; schools are requesting further support. Demand is outstripping capacity and the service has now ceased accepting any new referrals during 2022/23.
Being a Vanguard, and a totally new service developed to address the previously unmet emotional and behavioral need in this group of CYP, commissioning partners across the 3 ICBs could not have possibly known the likely demand, which has been consistent since mobilization in September 2021
It was agreed that the service provider, HCRG, required additional resource in recognition of the Vanguards success and current high demand; the SET Executive Collaborative Commissioning Forum (Exec CCF) agreed to utilize surplus 2022/23 LTP funding value £207,113 on a non-recurrent basis to address the current contractual cost pressure and alleviate the need for temporarily ceasing referrals into the service. The additional investment during 2022/23 would enable the Affinity Vanguard to support an additional 172 CYP in an educational setting across the three ICB footprints covering Essex.
The decision to proceed with completion of this Waiver Form and award HCRG additional funding was formally approved at the meeting of the SET Exec CCF on 30th November 2022 and endorsed by West Essex Senior Management Team (SMT) on 19th December 2022.
The contract hosted by Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB as the lead commissioner and covered by this Waiver Form is:
• HCRG Care Services Ltd (HCRG)
• Service Provider since September 2021
• Current contract value £422,083 per annum (excludes VAT)
• Service Description
Affinity Vanguard - schools and family work to improve CYP wellbeing, displaying direct improvement in their mental health, emotional regulation and well being
Cumulative value of spend for this contract to date with HCRG is £814,298 (excluding the value of this waiver). The original contract was approved via a waiver (reference number 242) through West Essex CCG with a total value of £1,266,249. The discrepancy in the value of the contract from the original waiver is noted, this is as the first year was not mobilized until part year, therefore the actual cost is lower.
The expected value of this waiver is £343,582. If the waiver is approved the total cumulative spend with HCRG will be £1,157,880. The additional funding is non r
seven.2.2) Reasons for modification
Need for modification brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority/entity could not foresee.
Description of the circumstances which rendered the modification necessary and explanation of the unforeseen nature of these circumstances:
Modification was necessary
seven.2.3) Increase in price
Updated total contract value before the modifications (taking into account possible earlier contract modifications, price adaptions and average inflation)
Value excluding VAT: £343,582
Total contract value after the modifications
Value excluding VAT: £1,157,880