NHS England and NHS Improvement South (South West) - Dorset Sexual Assault Referral Centre Services

NHS England and NHS Improvement South (South West) (NHSE/I), as lead commissioner and the Dorset Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner as co-commissioner, recommissioned Dorset Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) services.

Dorset SARC services aim to increase equity of access and ensure a consistent and high standard of quality care to victims of sexual assault in line with the Strategic Direction for Sexual Assault and Abuse Services (2018). The following outcomes are anticipated during the life of the contract:

• Be people-oriented and focused on addressing the needs of service users
• Provide consistency of available services offered to different age groups, i.e. adults and paediatrics, and equal access to services
• Meet national quality and clinical standards
• Provide value and effectiveness of provision
• Ensure 24/7 access to crisis support and specialist clinical and forensic care/ advice
• Ensure the workforce has the required capabilities and competencies
• Operate as part of a coherent Sexual Assault Pathway
• Ensure effective collaboration with key partners

Key elements of Dorset SARC services include:

• Adult provision
• Paediatric provision, co-delivered by paediatricians at Poole Hospital Foundation Trust (PHFT)
• Forensic Physicians (for complex cases and pre-pubertal children up to their 14th birthday)
• Forensic Nurse Examiners (for adults and post-pubertal young people aged 14 years and above)
• Crisis Workers
• Estates and facilities (in liaison with Dorset Police and the OPCC)

Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) services and therapeutic provision fall outside of the scope of this contract.

The Dorset SARC provider will be required to work closely with the paediatric department from PHFT, who are commissioned separately by NHSE/I to provide the paediatric workforce for assessment and examinations of children and young people. PHFT also deliver provision of non-recent/historic Child Sexual Abuse Services.

Services will be delivered under the national service specification (Spec 30), coupled with the Dorset (local) specification, that are aligned with best practice, current Faculty for Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM) guidelines and current Royal Colleges' guidance. Where standards and guidance are reviewed and updated during the life of the contract, SARC services must maintain compliance with any changes and as such the contract may be varied accordingly.

The Commissioner contracted the Services using the National NHS Standard Contract. The contract will be for a term of 7 years and will commence from 1st April 2021. The total contract value is £3,720,206 over the seven years.

This procurement was carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. Additional information: These 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 has been 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 ran 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.

The Contracting Authority voluntarily observed the award decision notices provisions and held a 10 day standstill period as described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.