Worcestershire Suicide Bereavement Support Service

Tender description

Suicide is a traumatic event; the impact is felt not only by immediate family and friends, but also by people in workplaces, communities, and wider society. Close family members are the most vulnerable group following a suicide, but research shows that postvention support should be available to people throughout the deceased's network. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highlights the importance of providing timely offer of support to those bereaved through a suspected suicide, with an immediate proactive offer of help generally being seen as useful and impactful in connecting bereaved individuals to essential resources. Worcestershire currently has no formal suicide bereavement support offer in place. While our bereavement pathway does include some postvention support, this offer is inconsistent across districts. It is also not comprehensive enough in its reach. Recent research has identified that Gloucestershire is currently providing some bereavement support services to residents of Worcestershire owing to the current lack of local provision and lack of clarity around support options. We have also identified a gap in supporting professionals who are regularly coming into contact with community members bereaved by suicide. Worcestershire County Council (WCC) is seeking tenders from suitably experienced third sector organisations to provide a suicide bereavement support service for the duration of the 3-year contract. Full requirements can be found in the Service Specification. Please could all bidders ensure they read the Tender Guidance in full before attempting to apply. Closing Date: 4pm Friday 24th September 2021