Tender

Community Counselling Service

  • NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight CCG

F01: Prior information notice (call for competition)

Notice identifier: 2021/S 000-025196

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-02e9da

Published 8 October 2021, 12:56pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

NHS Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight CCG

Southampton

Email

lauren.robinson@soeprocurement.nhs.uk

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code

UKJ35 - South Hampshire

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home

one.3) Communication

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home

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

Community Counselling Service

Reference number

F9318

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85000000 - Health and social work services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Counselling Support services for children and young people during 2014/2015. The service provides Tier 2 Counselling Service for Children and Young People 0 - 18 years old (19yrs for C/YP with Learning disability) who have or are at high risk of developing emotional wellbeing and/or mental health difficulties. There are a variety of difficulties for which children may require support. These difficulties include (but are not exclusively):

• Family and relationship issues

• Low mood

• Anxiety

• Low self-esteem

• Anger and challenging behaviours

• Self-harm

• Abuse and neglect

• Bullying

• Bereavement

• Suicidal thoughts

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £864,147

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 85000000 - Health and social work services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ - South East (England)
Main site or place of performance

Hampshire and Isle of Wight

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

No Limits were the successful bidder following the competitive, compliant Hampshire tender and commenced delivery in April 2016. The contract was for 3 years and was extended by two further years to expire on 31st March 2021, which was legally provisioned within the contract.

In 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak gave rise to an urgent need for the continuation of the provision of Counselling Service beyond the previously advertised contract duration. The Contracting Authority considers COVID-19 to be an unforeseen state of urgency and therefore as per the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 published a Regulation 72 notice to extend the service by 6+6 months to expire on 31st March 2022.

The Isle of Wight conducted an AQP (Any Qualified Provider) process and awarded IOW Youth Trust and Talk2 counselling provided by Barnardos in 2012. Under the Monitor Regulations which were in place when the contract became live allowed for extension periods without publishing additional notices or further competition.

In 2020, due to the COVID 19 outbreak NHS England stated all contracts should be moved over to block contracts to ease the burden of work.

Therefore the contract was amended to an activity based direct award to support the providers financial stability with an extension to the existing contract giving the Contracting Authority sufficient time to comply with undertaking a compliant competitive procurement process. This contract is in place until 31st March 2022.

Due to the ongoing nature of COVID-19 and prior to undertaking a competitive procurement process, the CCG would like to undertake a full and robust service review with coproduction and engagement of service users and their families / carers and a robust option appraisal as to what is required for the future to meet the demands of those with lower mental health needs (as per Local Transformation Plan) across the ICS geographical patch with a preventative focus including a widely-available and credible digital offer to give young people more choice and easier access to support at the first signs of difficulty.

In order for the CCG to deliver against the NHS Long Term Plan, the CCG intends to direct award, to effectively extend the existing service under the same terms and conditions rather than undertake a competitive procurement process, the rationale and evidence to support this decision is contained in the section below. The extension will be for a period of 12 months with the longer term aim for the services to be procured through a competitive tender process with a new contract start date of the 1st April 2023.

The extension term is 12 months commencing 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023

The value of the contracts (at current value) is £595,935 for Hampshire and £268,212 for the IOW.

two.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system

Duration in months

12

two.2.14) Additional information

Further information and justification can be found on InTend portal:

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home

This notice expires midnight 12th November 2021.


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Type of procedure

Restricted procedure

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: No

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.2) Time limit for receipt of expressions of interest

Date

12 November 2021

Local time

11:59pm

four.2.4) Languages in which tenders or requests to participate may be submitted

English

four.2.5) Scheduled date for start of award procedures

1 April 2022


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

NHS South of England Procurement Services

Fareham

Country

United Kingdom