Counselling Services (NHS Birmingham Cross City CCG)

This notice has been issued to give the market prior notice of NHS Birmingham CCGs intention to start a procurement process for Counselling Services on 24th May 2016. This service is available to Clients registered with a Birmingham CrossCity Clinical Commissioning Group GP aged 18+ or older on the day of referral. A brief description of the scope for this service is as follows: Aims and objectives of service: • To provide a primary care counselling service to individuals experiencing emotional or psychological distress for whom counselling is the appropriate intervention • To offer a choice of approaches to meet the required outcomes of the client • To provide quality services and positive outcomes • Improve the mental health and well-being of the community • Promote preventative and recovery interventions • Reduce stigma towards mental illness • Work in partnership with general practice, primary care and community clinicians to deliver a seamless transition through the primary care and community pathway • Work in partnership with local Improving Access to Psychological Therapy Services, managing clients who do not meet caseness Service description/care pathway: Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. A draft service specification and indicative activity information relating to current and anticipated activity can be found as an attachment within the Bravo eProcurement portal. (Please see instructions in section below in regards to accessing the Bravo eProcurement portal) Please note that all documentation at this stage is draft and subject to change.

Additional information: The Contracting Authority intends to use an eTendering system in this procurement exercise. The services to which this notice relates fall within the Light Touch Regime of the Public Contract Regulations 2015 ('the Regulations'). Neither the publication of this notice nor the employment of any particular terminology nor any other indication shall be taken to mean that the contracting authorities intend to hold themselves bound by any of the Regulations save those applicable to the procurement of Light Touch Regime services. Suppliers Instructions on how to access documentation for further detail: 1. Register your company on the eSourcing portal (this is only required once) — Browse to the eSourcing Portal: https://gemcsu.bravosolution.co.uk and click the link to register— Accept the terms and conditions and click ‘continue' — Enter your correct business and user details —Note the user-name you chose and click ‘Save' when complete — You will shortly receive an e-mail with your unique password (please keep this secure) 2. Login to the portal with the user-name/password — Click the ‘PQQs / ITTs Open To All Suppliers' link. (These are Pre-Qualification Questionnaires or Invitations to Tender open to any registered supplier) — Click on the relevant PQQ/ ITT to access the content (pqq_206). — Click the ‘Express Interest' button at the top of the page. — This will move the PQQ /ITT into your ‘My PQQs/ My ITTs' page. (This is a secure area reserved for your projects only) — You can now access any attachments by clicking ‘Buyer Attachments' in the ‘PQQ/ ITT Details' box 3. Responding to the tender — Click ‘My Response' under ‘PQQ/ ITT Details', you can choose to ‘Create Response' or to ‘Decline to Respond' (please give a reason if declining) — You can now use the ‘Messages' function to communicate with the buyer and seek any clarification — Note the deadline for completion, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the PQQ/ ITT — There may be a mixture of on-line and off-line actions for you to perform (there is detailed on-line help available) You must then submit your reply using the ‘Submit Response' button at the top of the page. If you require any further assistance please consult the on-line help, or contact the eTendering helpdesk Please Note: This notice is being published to communicate the current intention of Birmingham Cross City CCG to begin a procurement process for Counselling Services as a single lot for the Birmingham Cross City CCG region in May 2016 and to enable potential providers access to draft documentation in relation to this potential opportunity only. Please note all documentation is draft at this stage and subject to change. If and when this contract is tendered a contract notice will be placed in OJEU and Contracts Finder. Should you wish to participate in any future procurement process you WILL need to respond to the contract notice as appropriate when published.