Local Healthwatch in Hull And NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy Service

Tender description

Hull City Council (the Authority) invites qualified and interested suppliers to tender for the provision of a contract to secure a revised Local Healthwatch Offer in Hull, including the Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service (ICAS) - as required by law under the Health and Social Care Act, 2012. The Authority proposes to enter into a Contract for a maximum period of two years with the successful Tenderer (Service Provider), with an option to extend for a period or periods of up to a maximum of 12 months. Such extension will be at the discretion of the Authority and subject to satisfactory performance. The anticipated service commencement date is between June 2016 and July 2016. The creation of Healthwatch was a new venture for all local authorities in 2012. The current Local Healthwatch contract was awarded to Hull CVS and expires in March 2016. The local Healthwatch enables patients, children and families, adult social care adults and wider public to have a local voice when accessing and experiencing health and social care services, for exampleGP practices, Hospital and care home settings. There are seven statutory functions under the guidance from the Department of Health (DOH) and Local Government Association (LGA), relating to Healthwatch and ICAS, they are: Function 1 - Gathering views and understanding the experiences of people who use services, carers and the wider community. Function 2 - Making people's views known, including undertaking a level of, Enter and View each year as set out within the service specification. Function 3 - Promoting and supporting the involvement of people in the commissioning and provision of local care services and how they are scrutinised Function 4 - Recommending investigation or special reviews of services via Healthwatch England / Care Quality Commission (CQC). Function 5 - Providing advice and information about access to services and support for making informed choices. Function 6 - Making the views and experiences of people known to Healthwatch England and providing a steer to help it carry out its role as national champion. Function 7 - NHS Complaints Advocacy. The value of the new contract within the funding available through the DOH Local Reform and Community Voices grant which for 2015/16 would be a maximum of £195,730 The Authority encourages consortia to deliver the contract for in order to provide value for money and the added value partnership working can bring. Under this contract the Supplier will be required to actively contribute to the achievement of social objectives. Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/246) (TUPE) will apply to this contract.