Procurement for the provision of Mental Health Safe Haven in Slough to Frimley CCG

Frimley Clinical Commissioning Group is seeking to commission a Mental Health Safe-Haven in Slough for its East Berkshire locality.

The main aim of this service will be to offer a safe trusted space in a community setting for those in mental health crisis to alleviate emotional and psychological distress. This will provide a more suitable alternative to the hospital emergency department and reduce the use of other emergency services who support people in crisis. A key principle is to provide easy same day access.

The Safe-Haven model is a partnership team approach comprising of voluntary sector staff, and mental health practitioners.

The Safe-Haven will be a comfortable, non-medical environment, which encourages recovery, informal buddying and creating a social and support network. It will work in conjunction with G.P.s, social prescribers, community connectors, Police and Ambulance Service and other organisations. This will be based in Slough although open to all residents of East Berkshire and operate outside normal working hours. This Safe-Haven service is for adults 18 years and over.

When needed, a mental health assessment provided by a qualified mental health practitioner will be made available to support those who require intensive therapeutic intervention or facilitated referral onto more intensive support pathways such as CRHTT.

This will be the first Safe-Haven operating in East Berkshire.

The contract value is estimated £128,651 per annum in the first year and in the second and subsequent years £159,619 per annum. The budget includes a fund of up to £21,000 available for accelerated outcome funding. The contract term will be 3 years plus up to 2-year optional extension, with the service commencing on 2nd May 2022.

The tender documentation provides further details of the service envisaged.

The CCG invites organisations who are interested in providing this service to tender via the portal described later in this notice.

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

Additional information: Interested providers will be able to view this notice via the 'current tenders' list on the e-procurement system In-Tend, available on the following link: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

In order to submit a bid, you will need to be registered on the e-procurement system and 'express an interest', and then complete a response as specified within the procurement documents.

On registration, please include at least two contacts to allow for access to the system in times of absence.

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 will be 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 will run 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 Bidder 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 intends to voluntarily observe the award decision notices provisions and 10 day standstill period described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Unsuccessful Bidders will receive scores and reasons for the decision, including the characteristics and relative advantages of the winning bid and the reasons why the Bidder/application was unsuccessful. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.

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 contract value of this procurement is under the Light Touch Regime threshold and therefore the rules of this Regime do not apply.