Autism Assesments

Tender description

Provision of Autism Spectrum Disorder face to face clinics including diagnosis for children and young people (age 2 -11 years) in West and North Kent delivered over a 6 month period (01.10.21 to 31.03.22) with a minimum of 75 assessments being undertaken per month (total activity = 450) Lot 1: Provision of Autism Spectrum Disorder face to face clinics including diagnosis for children and young people (age 2 -11 years) in West and North Kent delivered over a 6 month period (01.10.21 to 31.03.22) with a minimum of 75 assessments being undertaken per month (total activity = 450) The supplier will need to provide a suitably qualified and experienced team of clinical staff (the Autism Team) comprising of the following as appropriate: Either: • a consultant community paediatrician; • or a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Plus • A clinical psychologist; and/or • A speech and language therapist; and/or • An occupational therapist The Autism Team will be (as appropriate) • registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), which is renewed every two years. • members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists the registration for which is renewed annually. • clinically supervised by the supplier, ensuring that all work falls within their Governance Framework. The Team will undertake autism specific case history (using a standardised case history format) and a clinical observation assessment for autism reaching a conclusion regarding diagnosis and sharing this with the family at the time of assessment. The autism diagnostic assessments will be undertaken utilising appropriate clinical assessment tools, e.g. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and clinical judgement to support the differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The supplier’s clinical staff will supply and use their own Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) Kits for each clinical assessment undertaken as well as the relevant ADOS Module forms that are required as part of the assessment (the cost of these forms will be covered by the Supplier. All ASD assessments will be carried out by two or three clinicians one of whom will always be either a consultant community paediatrician or consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. The others will be, either, a clinical psychologist, a speech and language therapist or an occupational therapist All assessments will follow the format detailed below: • ADOS and developmental history carried out simultaneously • Team confer and reach conclusion • Conclusion offered to parents immediately with opportunity for feedback and questions Full diagnostic reports with signposting to local services will be sent out six to eight weeks after the assessment. Written reports completed by the Autism Team following each assessment will be distributed directly to the child’s family and relevant professionals. Copies will be sent electronically via secure email (nhs.net or similarly encrypted email) or uploaded to the KCHFT Community Paediatric Service electronic patient record system within six to eight weeks of the assessment being undertaken The Supplier will ensure that the content of the reports are clinically appropriate to the assessment carried out and details the assessment findings and recommendations made by their staff during the assessment A full audit of the service will be provided at the end of the contract to include statistics on diagnosis rates, satisfaction scores and feedback from parents. An identified staff member from the Supplier to be available five days per week as project manager for KCHFT staff to liaise with as required. Location West Kent (Maidstone) and North Kent (Gravesham) – will need to work in both areas KCHFT will ensure the provision of a room at the site, that is suitably equipped and furnished for the Autism Team to use, and large enough to accommodate between 3 and 6 persons as appropriate, to ensure a quiet base for joint assessment, liaison and therapy planning Purchase value £675,000 maximum budget Delivery period 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022