Contract

Community Connector Roles within the Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS) Teams in East Berkshire

  • Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care Board (ICB)

F21: Social and other specific services – public contracts (contract award notice)

Notice identifier: 2022/S 000-036247

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-034e7e

Published 21 December 2022, 3:47pm



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care Board (ICB)

Aldershot Centre for Health, Hospital Hill

Aldershot

GU11 1AY

Contact

Hannah Morley

Email

Scwcsu.procurement@nhs.net

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKJ3 - Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Justification for not providing organisation identifier

Not on any register

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://www.frimley.icb.nhs.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

Community Connector Roles within the Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS) Teams in East Berkshire

Reference number

C87115

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85100000 - Health services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

Frimley Health and Care ICB (the Commissioner) sought to commission Community Connector roles within the MHICS Teams across East Berkshire. Adverts were placed on Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service and an Invitation to Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, was undertaken during summer / autumn 2022 to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider.

In 2019, the ICB was successfully awarded funding to be one of 12 national early implementer sites to deliver Community Mental Health (CMH) transformation. This has enabled the design and implementation of integrated primary and community mental health care for adults and older adults with Significant Mental Illness (SMI), built around Primary Care Networks (PCNs), so that more patients with SMI are effectively supported in primary care.

As part of the ICS-wide CMH transformation programme, there will be a total of 9 MHICS Teams, covering the 10 PCNs across East Berkshire. MHICS offers a service to patients in primary care with significant mental health difficulties who have not met the criteria for, or whose needs are not met by existing primary and secondary care mental health services. Flow into the MHICS service is mainly from primary care, but also for patients stepping down from secondary care and will continue to evolve as part of the One Team approach as the programme continues to transform the way people with mental health needs are supported in their communities.

The Community Connectors will form part of the core MHICS team (minimum 1 WTE Community Connector per team).

This procurement has been carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

The project reference number for this opportunity is C87115, (previously WA12808).

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: £846,815

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 85100000 - Health services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ11 - Berkshire
Main site or place of performance

East Berkshire

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

Frimley Health and Care ICB (the Commissioner) sought to commission Community Connector roles within the MHICS Teams across East Berkshire. Adverts were placed on Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service and an Invitation to Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, was undertaken during summer / autumn 2022 to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider.

In 2019, the ICB was successfully awarded funding to be one of 12 national early implementer sites to deliver Community Mental Health (CMH) transformation. This has enabled the design and implementation of integrated primary and community mental health care for adults and older adults with Significant Mental Illness (SMI), built around Primary Care Networks (PCNs), so that more patients with SMI are effectively supported in primary care.

As part of the ICS-wide CMH transformation programme, there will be a total of 9 MHICS Teams, covering the 10 PCNs across East Berkshire. MHICS offers a service to patients in primary care with significant mental health difficulties who have not met the criteria for, or whose needs are not met by existing primary and secondary care mental health services. Flow into the MHICS service is mainly from primary care, but also for patients stepping down from secondary care and will continue to evolve as part of the One Team approach as the programme continues to transform the way people with mental health needs are supported in their communities.

The Community Connectors will form part of the core MHICS team (minimum 1 WTE Community Connector per team), and their role will include:

• Help identify psychoeducational, emotional, socio-economic needs that impact on mental wellbeing through direct 1:1 work with MHICS clients, and use this understanding to support engagement and access to appropriate local and community resources

• Actively link, develop and bridge out to the infrastructure of VCSE support services across East Berkshire to offer:

- Earlier intervention

- Longer appointment time

- Practical support and help

- Guided self-help resources

- Follow ups and ongoing support

- Onward bridging where needed

- Links with community resources

- Particular links into Wellbeing Services and Carer Support

• In line with a client's goals and needs, brief psychoeducation/psychosocial approaches may be employed, which, when within their competency, may be delivered by Community Connectors and/or jointly with the Mental Health Practitioners.

The Contract will be for an initial term of 2 years, with an option to extend for any period up to a further 24 months. The Contract is due to commence 1st January 2023.

The Contract has been awarded to Buckinghamshire Association for Mental Health (t/a Buckinghamshire MIND). The contract value for the initial 2 year contract term is £825,754.

There is potential for 2 additional Community Connector roles being required to cover a new Community Rehabilitation Enhanced Service Team (CREST) being established by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2022/2023. If the additional roles are required, the contract may be varied to include this additional provision at an estimated financial value of £92,700 per annum.

This procurement has been carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

The project reference number for this opportunity is C87115, (previously WA12808).

two.2.14) Additional information

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but are instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.1) Form of procedure

Open procedure

four.2) Administrative information

four.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2022/S 000-018390


Section five. Award of contract

Title

Community Connector Roles within the Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS) Teams in East Berkshire

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

19 December 2022

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 2

Number of tenders received from SMEs: 1

Number of tenders received by electronic means: 2

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Buckinghamshire Association for Mental Health - trading as Buckinghamshire Mind

Ashton House, 14 Granville Street

Aylesbury

HP20 2JR

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ13 - Buckinghamshire CC
Charity Commission (England and Wales)

1103063

five.2.4) Information on value of contract/lot (excluding VAT)

Initial estimated total value of the contract/lot: £846,815

Total value of the contract/lot: £825,754


Section six. Complementary information

six.3) Additional information

The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

The tendering process has been conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations. The Authority ran a transparent tender process, treating all Bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the Authority will not be bound by the Regulations or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these Services.

Neither the inclusion of a selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Directive or Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the Authority ("Open", "Restricted", "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation", "Competitive Dialogue" or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by the Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive / Schedule 3 of the Regulations.

The Contracting Authority has voluntarily observed the award decision notices provisions and held a 10 day standstill period as described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

High Court London

London

Country

United Kingdom

six.4.3) Review procedure

Precise information on deadline(s) for review procedures

As described in VI.3, deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the 2015 Regulations.