Children's Integrated Therapies and Equipment Service - NHS/SOEPS/22.843 - PINCC

The current contract with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to expire on 31st March 2023. It was awarded by NHS Sussex CCG (now NHS Sussex ICB) and East Sussex County Council following the publication of a direct award notice. This interim arrangement was put in place to enable service continuity whilst the CCG took time to build a better understanding of the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on demand, including provision of support into schools, mental health and related health provision for children and young people with SEND. This was put in place to effectively extend service provision at that time, with the original contract having been put in place via a restricted OJEU process in 2018.

In order for Sussex ICB to deliver against this agenda, the ICB intends to direct award (effectively extending the existing contract) to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. The rationale and evidence to support this decision is contained in the section below. The extension will be for a period of one year from 1st April 2023 until 31st March 2024, with the option to extend for a further one year until 31st March 2025 if required.

The direct award will ensure services remain in place so that existing and new service users can access these services whilst the organisation undertakes proper engagement with the market to adapt the service to the needs of the population and complete its re-procurement process. The stability of the service will also support the wider local healthcare system.

Contract value = £5,252,818 per annum x 2 years = £10,505,636

If you wish to express an interest or should you wish to discuss the content of the PIN further, please do this by sending a message via the In-tend e-Tendering portal at https://in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home in the first instance. The deadline for expressions of interest is 12:00pm (midday) on Monday 7th November, 2022.

If no expressions of interest are received, the Authority intends to enter a contract with the incumbent provider relying upon a Regulation 32 exemption of no response/no requests to participate have been submitted in response to this notice, within 30 days of publication.

Please note a portal message is the only accepted method of expressing an interest (correspondence received by an other route will not be responded to).

NHS Sussex is seeking to secure a Children's Integrated Therapy Service, so that children and young people known to the service achieve their best possible developmental potential and physical and emotional health and well-being both in childhood and through transition into adulthood. The Children's Integrated Therapy Service is a significant provider alongside other services for children with SEN and Disability and is required to contribute to the new way of working outlined in the SEND Reforms of the Children and Families Act 2014.