Children's Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service Market Engagement (ref 22.843). On behalf of NHS East Sussex CCG.

This is a market engagement exercise. The Commissioner is seeking the views of healthcare providers for this requirement using a Request for Information document. The document provided includes information about the requirement (a draft specification) and asks some questions aimed at obtaining the views of prospective healthcare providers. The Children's Integrated Therapy Service (CITS) brings together the health and local authority provision across the therapy services of Speech and Language, Occupational and Physiotherapy AND the assessment, prescription and supply of relevant equipment. The fundamental aims of integrating the commissioning of children's therapy services and equipment is to remove duplication and inefficiencies, promote equality of access and increase value for money, with the resulting service improvements for children, young people, parents and carers. The Children's Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service's will ensure that all children and young people known to the service achieve their best possible developmental potential, physical and emotional health and well-being both in childhood and through transition into adulthood. The Children's Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service has a key role to play in the services for children with SEN and Disability and is required to contribute to the SEND Reforms of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The Objectives of the service are to: Provide a timely, accessible therapy service that is responsive to the needs of children, young people that are referred to the service and their families • Offer multi-agency and inter-agency working to enable therapy objectives to be effectively integrated into the child's everyday life. This includes training for other staff to enhance their skills and support to therapy programmes. • Provide training to parents and carers to improve their ability to support the ongoing needs of their child/children • Maintain a quality service through investment in continuing professional development, supervision and support to all team members. • Contribute to multidisciplinary assessment of children and young people on neurodevelopmental pathways • Prescribe, order store refurbish and distribute equipment. Maintain appropriate management control of process in respect of predicted equipment demand, alert commissioners to unforeseen demand • Contribute to the 5 outcomes as co-produced and agreed by East Sussex leaders from health, education and social care, parents and young people • Ensure the provision is actively working to address Equality and Diversity by developing & implementing plans to engage areas of deprivation and hard to reach communities in East Sussex.

The envisaged contract period will be 3 years with the option of the Authority to extend for up to a further 2 years. The value of the contract is £4-£4.5m a year (a total value of up to £20-£22.5m where the option to extend is taken).