PPME For Provision of NHS Talking Therapies Counselling Services

Hertfordshire County Council (‘the Council’) wishes to invite interested Providers to return the P P M E Appendix A- Supplier Questionnaire by 12.00 (noon) Wednesday 24th July 2024.The Council will consider the input and responses received as part of its P P M E to help inform the Council’s options and further decision making regarding the below intended project and to help inform its specification.N H S Talking Therapies counselling services provide N I C E recommended psychological interventions for adults and older adults with anxiety disorders and or depression. The review of data received from N H S Talking Therapies counselling services indicates that a significant number of people who choose N H S Talking Therapies report feeling more able to cope and an improved health and wellbeing at the end of their intervention. Currently approximately one in two people who have a course of treatment in N H S Talking Therapies recover and two out of three people show worthwhile improvements in their mental health. Project BackgroundThe nationally led evidence based N H S Talking Therapies programme has been offered in Hertfordshire since 2008, previously called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies and known as I A P T. In 2023 the I A P T programme was renamed N H S Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression to facilitate public recognition and clarify the clinical conditions that are treated in the services.The Council currently commissions on behalf of the Herts and West Essex I C B for the delivery of N H S Talking Therapies counselling services with six (6) providers working across Hertfordshire. The Council is looking to commence a procurement as the current arrangements for N H S Talking Therapies Counselling Services delivered under a Hertfordshire County Council framework expire in January 2025. This framework contributes to the I C B’s N H S Talking Therapies programme. Expanding and developing the N H S Talking Therapies counselling services is a key element to meeting the aims set out in the N H S Long term plan for Mental Health. Current Project BriefThis brief is being used as an outline to engage with the market so the Council can discuss the opportunity with potentially interested organisations. This Pre-Procurement Market Engagement (P P M E) process will inform the commissioning strategy and future delivery requirements for these services. It is anticipated that the provider will deliver a countywide, N H S Talking Therapies Counselling Service for the residents of Hertfordshire. The Service will be an integral part of the overall delivery of N HS Talking Therapy Counselling Services already established in Hertfordshire, offering N H S Talking Therapies Counselling Services to Service Users for whom other modalities may not be suitable.Service Users will be aged over 16 and reporting as suffering from a mild to moderate range of mental health problems, including:- Grief or Loss - Coping with injury or illness - Developmental or life crises - Emotional or physical abuse issues - Family relationship issues - Loss example relationship, employment, health. - Self-image and identity issues - Lack of direction, alienation, existential problems- Stress and trauma - pre and post event - Issues of sexuality- Early onset addictive behaviors; drug misuse, eating disorders, alcoholismThe Counselling Services must be delivered by accredited N H S practitioners /qualified Counsellors, who are trained to deliver N H S Talking Therapies.