HCC 07/24 – PPME For Provision of NHS Talking Therapies Counselling Services

Tender description

<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br />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. <br /><br />Project Background<br /><br /><br />The 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.<br />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. <br />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. <br />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. <br /><br />Current Project Brief<br /><br />This brief is being used as an outline to engage with the market so the Council can discuss the opportunity with potentially interested organisations. <br />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. <br />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.<br />Service Users will be aged over 16 and reporting as suffering from a mild to moderate range of mental health problems, including:<br /><br />- Grief or Loss <br />- Coping with injury or illness <br />- Developmental or life crises <br />- Emotional or physical abuse issues <br />- Family relationship issues <br />- Loss e.g. relationship, employment, health etc. <br />- Self-image and identity issues <br />- Lack of direction, alienation, existential problems<br />- Stress and trauma - pre and post event <br />- Issues of sexuality<br />- Early onset addictive behaviors; drug misuse, eating disorders, alcoholism<br /><br />The Counselling Services must be delivered by accredited N H S practitioners /qualified Counsellors, who are trained to deliver N H S Talking Therapies. <br />