Health and social work services

Tender description

This notice is placed as a prior information notice in order to facilitate engagement with potential providers and relates only to pre-procurement market engagement, including 1:1 provider meetings with commissioners. NHS England and NHS Improvement South West, in partnership with the South West Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners and Police Forces are seeking to re-commission Sexual Offence Examiner (SOE) and Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) provision for both adults and paediatrics across the South West. The two services are currently delivered via separate contracts, with a South West wide contract for SOE provision, contract managed by the OPCCs and Police and four separate contracts for SARC service provision, contract managed by NHSE/I and covering the four Police Force areas of: • Avon and Somerset, • Gloucestershire, • Swindon and Wiltshire, • Devon and Cornwall. It is anticipated that the new contracts will commence on 1 October 2022. This notice is placed as a prior information notice in order to facilitate engagement with potential providers and relates only to pre-procurement market engagement, including 1:1 provider meetings with commissioners. NHS England and NHS Improvement South West, in partnership with the South West Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners and Police Forces are seeking to re-commission Sexual Offence Examiner (SOE) and Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) provision for both adults and paediatrics across the South West. The two services are currently delivered via separate contracts, with a South West wide contract for SOE provision, contract managed by the OPCCs and Police and four separate contracts for SARC service provision, contract managed by NHSE/I and covering the four Police Force areas of: • Avon and Somerset, • Gloucestershire, • Swindon and Wiltshire, • Devon and Cornwall. Consideration is being given to the consolidation of both SOE and SARC services within an integrated service specification. A final decision regarding scope will be informed by outcomes of market engagement and the health needs assessment. The services in scope for this re-commissioning exercise include; SARC facilities and management, sexual offence examiners and forensic medical examinations, crisis worker provision and onward referral. Independent sexual violence advisor (ISVA) services and therapeutic provision, such as counselling are out of scope of this re-commissioning exercise (these are commissioned separately). The main aims and objectives of the re-commissioning exercise are: — to determine the most appropriate commissioning strategy for SARC and SOE provision. As part of this, consideration will be given to whether the two services can/should be integrated under one contract, with NHSE/I taking the (lead) commissioning responsibility for both elements, to align with other regions in the South; — to determine the most appropriate service delivery model across the region; — to ensure emerging guidance and accreditation requirements are taken into account; — to re-commission sustainable SARC and SOE services across the region as well as increase equity of access and ensure a consistent and high-quality of care to victims of sexual assault in line with the strategic Direction for Sexual Assault and Abuse Services (2018); — to increase and improve cross-border links with SARCs both within and beyond the South West. It is anticipated that the new contracts will commence on 1 October 2022. At this time, the Commissioners would like to determine the level of provider interest from all sectors (including voluntary and third sector) in preparation for forthcoming market engagement activities, which will consist of 1:1 meetings with the Commissioners in October/November 2020 and may then be followed by further events as deemed appropriate, e.g. a briefing event. Expressions of interest are welcome from providers who may be interested in bidding for these services, either in their own right or as a subcontractor or partner, though 1:1 meetings will be facilitated with potential contract holding/lead providers only. The 1:1 meetings will be an opportunity for providers to meet with the Commissioners and discuss the critical issues, challenges and opportunities that relate to future commissioning and provision of SOE and SARC services. At this stage, only high level information in respect to current services or the future procurement strategy/process will be given. The focus will be on obtaining insight from the market to help inform re-commissioning and gauge market interest in these services. Requests for 1:1 meetings with the Commissioners must be submitted by COP 30 September 2020, though general expressions of interest in the opportunity/any further events will be received until 30 November 2020. Details on how to register are provided at the end of this notice.