North East Essex Crisis Alternative Service

Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board is seeking submissions from suitably qualified providers of crisis services from 1st October 2024.

The objective of the North East Essex crisis alternative provision is to be a key element of the localities 24-7 Mental Health Crisis Response and Care service covering Colchester and Tendring and serving the six Neighbourhood areas within. The provision is strongly linked with national and local strategy requirements and specifically aligns with two of the Crisis Concordat objectives: 'urgent and emergency access to crisis care', and 'quality of treatment and care when in crisis.' The intention is to offer sanctuary for people experiencing mental ill-health and mental distress by providing a calm and safe space, practical and emotional support and an alternative to admission if appropriate. It is intended to provide this across three pathways:

a) require support with their wellbeing and therapeutic engagement to reduce stressors - 'Community Wellbeing Support

b) escalating towards crisis point and wish to access early intervention - 'Individualised Support' and;

c) are in a mental health crisis, have had a mental health triage, yet only require access to support, de-escalation and assessment by the Individualised Support pathway - 'Urgent Care Alternative'

The intention is for providers to work in partnership to deliver the service across the locality. A key relationship is likely to be with the local Mental Health NHS provider (Essex Partnership University NHS Trust) to develop protocols and a standard operating procedure, with the Mental Health provider providing clinical oversight of the hub model, offering advice, support, and formal triage and assessment. Other key relationships will be with providers already working within the system and these relationships will need to be strong and effective.

The geography of north east Essex means that there may need to be more than one site to deliver this service and there is a drive to integrate within neighbourhoods. Therefore, the ICB is interested to explore the potential for providers from all sectors to work together to cover the locality and the different elements.

The value contained within this Notice is the total contract value which is includes all potential extensions. The value of the contract being offered for the services identified for the 5-year contract period is £2,438,347.00. This is the value by which the tender evaluation will be undertaken. The total value of the contract (including extension provision of 2 years) is £3,413,683.00. Additional information: The Authority may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, the Bidder should be aware that after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the successful Bidder may be offered a variation to the contract in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.