Advocacy Services for Adults

East Sussex County Council, West Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board invite applications to tender for a contract to provide an integrated advocacy service for the Commissioners with a central point of access.

This commission is outcome focused and the Commissioners would welcome new and creative approaches to service provision that could deliver the outcomes through different ways of working and/or by building on existing good practice.

The Commissioners will award one contract with one Service Provider. The Service Provider may Sub-Contract with specialist providers ('Sub-Contractors') in the delivery of elements of the Services as a Lead Provider Model. However, the Service Provider will remain responsible for the delivery of all elements of the Services and will deliver the different elements within a single service structure using uniform processes and systems for management and monitoring of the Services.

The Service Provider will directly provide or work in partnership or sub-contract to deliver:

i. Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex ii. Relevant Person's Paid Representative (RPPR) service across East Sussex, Brighton & Hove and West Sussex; iii. Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex; iv. Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex; v. Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) for Brighton & Hove; vi. Community Mental Health Advocacy for Brighton & Hove and West Sussex; vii. and Specialist Community Advocacy for Brighton & Hove.

The Commissioners wish to appoint a Service Provider suitably experienced in leading and developing advocacy provision with an excellent track record of providing the relevant statutory and non-statutory advocacy services. Service Providers will need to demonstrate how the model will be implemented and work in practice and particularly how the Service Provider will manage its supply chain, if any, to ensure compliance with the contract requirements in terms of quality.

The Service Provider will need to demonstrate their understanding of the unique and diverse make-up each local authority area and how they will ensure that their proposed service will be accessible, engaging and reflect need and also demonstrate impact of the Services.

Additional information: The Procurement Contract Regulations 2015 classifies some social care services and other specific services as "Light Touch". These services are subject to different, more flexible rules and thresholds than ordinary public contracts under the Act. The Advocacy services required fall under 'Light Touch Regime'.

This procurement is governed by the Procurement Contract Regulations 2015.

The Commissioners are using the Open Procedure.

The contract for the provision of Advocacy Services will be for an initial period of five (5) years, plus an optional extension period of two (2) years. The Contract will be for a maximum of seven (7) years.

Any interested organisation with the experience, capability and capacity to deliver the ambition laid out in the tender documents may submit a tender return in response to this contract notice. The Commissioners welcome collaborations and partnerships, subject to them appointing a lead provider to act on their behalf as the lead contracting party taking overall responsibility for delivery of the Advocacy services in accordance with the requirements of the Contract.

Please see the published tender documentation for details of award criteria.