Procurement for the provision of Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) Counselling services for Thames Valley & Dorset

NHS England seeks to commission a provider of SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Centre) Counselling services for victims of sexual violence in Dorset and Thames Valley. The procurement is split into two regional lots:

• Lot 1 - Thames Valley • Lot 2 - Dorset

This procurement is being carried out by NHS South, Central & West Commissioning Support Unit (SCWCSU) on behalf of the Commissioner. The Commissioner will be contracting for the Services using the National NHS Standard Contract. Contracts will be for a term of three years for both lots and services are planned to commence from October 2017. The value of the service for the Thames Valley lot (Lot 1) will be £279,327 over three years; the value of the Dorset lot (Lot 2) will be £182,170 over three years. Providers may bid for one or both lots

This service is for the provision of counselling to adults, children and young people, who have experienced rape, sexual abuse or sexual assault at any point in their lives. This includes their families/carers. It also includes those who have accessed the SARC, Paediatric Sexual Assault Services (SAS) or those who have had contact with Specially Trained Officers (or equivalent) or Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs).

The service aims and objectives are to work therapeutically in a range of ways with Adults, Children, Young People, Family or Carer who meet the referral criteria:

• To enable clients to find appropriate ways of coping with distress caused by rape or sexual abuse • To support clients to achieve their potential and make meaningful contributions to improved health and quality of life • To encourage and enable people to keep themselves safe • Counselling should be offered flexibly to meet the needs of the client , family or carer • To deliver effective counselling, using evidence based and creative therapies based on: need, age and those presenting issues, to improve emotional wellbeing and mental health, develop resilience and enhance coping skills. • Enable all children, young people and adults to maximise their capabilities and have control over their lives

NHS England seek responses from those with skills and experience in the provision of counselling therapy services for victims of rape or sexual assault services referred by the SARC or Police. Interested parties are invited to take part in an Invitation To Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, and designed to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider.

Further information in the additional text section.

Additional information: Interested providers will be able to view the tender opportunity via the 'current tenders' list on in-tend. https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/Home

Or you should be able to go directly to this particular tender opportunity by following the link below: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/scwcsu/aspx/ProjectManage/383

In order to access the tender documentation you will need to 'express an interest' and register on the system. Bidders are required to respond to the Selection Questionnaire & ITT questions directly within In-Tend and attach any requested documents separately to the placeholders provided.

The Services are healthcare services within the meaning and scope of Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU ("the Directive") and Schedule 3 to the Public Contract Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations"). 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 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).