Contract

CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People

  • Kent County Council

F03: Contract award notice

Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-040751

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-04ed16

Published 17 July 2025, 9:58am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Kent County Council

Sessions House

Maidstone

ME14 1XQ

Contact

Mr Matt Wellard

Email

Matthew.Wellard@kent.gov.uk

Telephone

+44 3000413221

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UKJ4 - Kent

Internet address(es)

Main address

http://www.kent.gov.uk

Buyer's address

http://www.kent.gov.uk

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Regional or local authority

one.5) Main activity

Health


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People

Reference number

DN759960

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 85323000 - Community health services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

This is an Intent to Award Notice under the Provider Selection Regime 2023.

The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.

The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.

The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.

At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.

Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals

through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support

delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community;

in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.

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: £12,064,736

two.2) Description

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UKJ4 - Kent

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

This is an Intent to Award Notice under the Provider Selection Regime 2023.

The Council is looking to commission a Therapeutic Support Service (‘the Service’) to support children and young people aged 4-19 who have mild to moderate emotional wellbeing needs.

The national and local context calls for a refreshed system-wide approach within Kent, which is now underway. The Therapeutic Support Service will be a key element within a wider transformation programme being led by NHS Kent and Medway to deliver high quality, responsive and better-connected emotional wellbeing and mental health support for children and young people in the county. The system vision is for future Services to operate as a ‘Mental Health Collaborative’, underpinned by a set of contracts to be led by NHS Kent and Medway from 2025/6 onwards, providing specialist, education-based and therapeutic Services. This third element will be known as the ‘Therapeutic Alliance’, and will support children and young people with predominantly moderate emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.

The Council is commissioning the Service to complement the Therapeutic Alliance, by offering similar creative and therapeutic approaches, but which are tailored to meet mild to moderate needs and offer a preventative and early intervention model, rooted in the local community. Although this is being commissioned independently by the Council, it will share a common set of principles and values with the wider Therapeutic Alliance, to create a mutual framework for collaboration and partnership working between commissioners, Suppliers and stakeholders.

At the heart of this commission is the recognition that supporting children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health requires a partnership approach. Through our contribution to the wider county model, the Council will aim to create space for collaboration, strengthen connections between Services, and build resilience within families and communities so that more children and young people can receive the support they need at the earliest opportunity.

Our vision for the Service is that children and young people (CYP) aged 4 (from entry to Reception) up to their 19th birthday who are experiencing mild to moderate emotional wellbeing difficulties are able to access timely, flexible support that helps them to meet their goals

through a choice of creative and therapeutically-informed support

delivered as part of the Family Hub network and connected to their local community;

in co-ordination with the emerging children’s mental health Therapeutic Alliance in Kent.

Conflicts of interest were managed throughout the process and none were declared.

The award decision maker for this opportunity was the relevant Cabinet Member who delegated authority to the Director of Public Health.

The successful tender was reviewed against the process described within the ITT letter. The preferred bidder submitted a bid that was within the financial envelope and was above the minimum quality thresholds set out within the ITT letter, scoring a quality score of 64. The 5 Key Criteria were assessed against the 7 quality questions and pricing schedule that was used within the tender.

It is expected the contract will commence on the 12th September 2025 and will continue for a period of 5 year(s) and 5 months (65 months) unless terminated in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Contract.

two.2.5) Award criteria

Price

two.2.11) Information about options

Options: No

two.2.13) Information about European Union Funds

The procurement is related to a project and/or programme financed by European Union funds: No

two.2.14) Additional information

N/A


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.2.1) Previous publication concerning this procedure

Notice number: 2025/S 000-014495


Section five. Award of contract

Contract No

CN250246

Lot No

1

Title

CN250246 - Proposed Therapeutic Support Service for Children and Young People

A contract/lot is awarded: Yes

five.2) Award of contract

five.2.1) Date of conclusion of the contract

17 July 2025

five.2.2) Information about tenders

Number of tenders received: 1

The contract has been awarded to a group of economic operators: No

five.2.3) Name and address of the contractor

Project Salus CIC

Greenacres Barn Pound Lane

Ashford

TN25 6RJ

Country

United Kingdom

NUTS code
  • UKJ4 - Kent
The contractor is an SME

No

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

Total value of the contract/lot: £12,064,736


Section six. Complementary information

six.4) Procedures for review

six.4.1) Review body

Kent County Council

Maidstone

ME14 1XQ

Country

United Kingdom