CONTRACT NOTICE – NATIONAL

1 Authority Details

1.1

Authority Name and Address

1.2

Address from which documentation may be obtained

1.3

Completed documents must be returned to:

2 Contract Details

2.1

Title

Guided Self-Help Psychological Interventions

2.2

Description of the goods or services required

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, hosted by Velindre NHS Trust are acting on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board who are seeking to award a contract for Guided Self-Help Psychological Interventions - Tier 0.

The Cardiff and Vale Primary Mental Health Support Service (PMHSS) provides services in primary care for patients experiencing mild to moderate or stable severe and enduring mental health. The service supports the provision of health care and positive promotion to the service users and carers of Cardiff and the Vale at Tier One level, in line with the Mental Health Measure (Part 1) agenda in Cardiff and Vale UHB. It is provided by the NHS, and covers all areas within Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

PMHSS currently receive on average 900 referrals per month and it is evidenced that there is limited capacity for in-person sessions at GP surgeries and a gap has been identified for those needing support with self-esteem, social anxiety, distress intolerance etc who are unable to attend groups or do self help.

PMHSS currently deliver a number of interventions including Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI), ACT-ion for living psycho-education groups based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and a Stress Control psychoeducation group. These have all had positive outcomes in assisting with well-being in the general population.

By collaborating with 3rd Sector partners, there can be an increased access to psychological support, specifically CCI, ACT-ion for living groups and stress control groups for those with mild to moderate or stable, severe and enduring mental health.

NOTE: The authority is using eTenderwales to carry out this procurement process. To obtain further information record your interest on Sell2Wales at https://www.sell2wales.gov.wales/search/search_switch.aspx?ID=145496

2.3

Notice Coding and Classification

2.4

Total quantity or scope of tender

The services are commissioned for 2 years. There is a ceiling price of 425,426.00 GBP representing the total funding for the 2-year contract.

The service has been designed to support GPs in the delivery of tier zero interventions, free up PMHSS to work with more complex patients and considers the following in the context of its delivery:

• Prudent Healthcare and investing wisely

• Stepped care as per NICE guidelines

• Meeting Mental Health Measure Targets of assessment / intervention in 28 days

• Improved joint working between Primary, Secondary Care and Third Sector organisations.

• Interventions to be delivered by the third sector service provider:

• Centre for Clinical Intervention (CCI) - 6-8 week course of guided self-help covering 9 different courses:

Assertiveness, self-esteem, depression, panic, worry perfectionism, procrastination, social anxiety and distress intolerance.

• ACT-ion for living—4 week psychoeducation course exploring the theory and practical skills of Acceptance and

Commitment Therapy. Teaches skills focusing on accepting a current situation rather than continuing to battle it.

• Understanding Me – 4 week psychoeducation course – compassion focused therapy.

• Stress Control—6 week psychoeducation course exploring practical skills to assist with controlling stress.

Psycho-educational courses should be open access and held in accessible community venues or online via Zoom, Teams or Skype.

CCIs should whenever possible be conducted in the persons own GP Surgery due to familiarity and a safe non mental health environment. They can also be delivered via telephone or online with lessons learned from adapting to, and restructuring the service delivery in response to Covid-19.

A blended model of in person appointments based within GP surgeries as well as telephone / zoom appointments delivered from an external location. Retaining the model of set staff working within specific clusters on specific days/times. In addition to the allocated appointments for each surgery a pool of appointments (relative to cluster population requirements) can be available for all patients across cluster areas on each day of a week should they not be able to attend their surgeries allocation. This offers more flexibility for both the patients and cluster working with the aim to reduce wasted appointments and waiting list times.

3 Conditions for Participation

3.1

Minimum standards and qualification required

Recipients are invited to complete the Tender and to submit it, together with any requested supporting information, to the Contracting Authority by the due date for return in accordance with the procedures set out in the Tender documentation.

In response to the Invitation to Tender, Bidders are required to complete the three questionnaires (Qualification, Technical and Commercial) within the Bravo E-tender Portal according to the requirements stipulated. Bidders must answer all questions marked as ‘mandatory’ in the ITT and also must provide any information requested within the tender documents. Failure to provide the required information may result in your tender response

Bidders should answer all questions as accurately and concisely as possible in the same order as the questions are presented.

Failure to provide the required information, make a satisfactory response to any question, or supply documentation referred to in responses, within the specified timescale, will mean that a Bidder’s submission will be scored accordingly and may mean that a Bidder is excluded from the process. In the event that none of the responses are deemed satisfactory, the Contracting Authority reserves the right to terminate the procurement and where appropriate re-advertise the procurement.

Bidders must be explicit and comprehensive in their responses to the Tender as this will be the single source of information on which responses will be scored. Bidders are advised neither to make any assumptions about their past or current supplier relationships (if any) with the Contracting Authority nor to assume that such prior business relationships will be taken into account in the evaluation procedure, unless they are (1) expressly referenced in the appropriate section of the Tender and (2) relevant to the question being answered.

For clarity, bidders are required to complete and submit a number of documents as a part of their tender submission.

Please see tender pack included in this ITT for full instructions and information in relation to bidding in this tender.

4 Administrative Information

4.1

Type of Procedure

Single stage

4.2

Reference number attributed to the notice by the contracting authority

N/a

4.3

Time Limits

4.5

Language or languages in which tenders or requests to participate can be drawn up

4.6

Tender Submission Postbox

5 Other Information

5.1

Additional Information

Please note additional information on this procurement:

1. The Contracting Authority reserves the right to award the contract in whole, in part or annul the tendering

process and not award any contract.

2. Bidders should note that they will be required to enter into terms and conditions of contract as set out in

the ITT and that save for matters of clarification or consistency the Contracting Authority will not negotiate

the terms.

3. The Contracting Authority will not accept completed ITT's after the stated closing date.

4. All documents to be priced (where applicable) in sterling and all payments made in sterling.

5. All tender costs and liabilities incurred by bidders shall be the sole responsibility of the bidders.

6. Bidders wishing to participate should visit the Bravo e-tenderwales portal and access the ITT under

itt_107713.

7. Bidders should note that NHS Shared Services Partnership - Procurement Services is acting on behalf of

Cardiff and Vale ULHB

TUPE – Bidders to review the TUPE Schedule included within this tender pack

The successful bidder recognises that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”) may apply in respect of this Agreement and any future transfer of the services and agrees to comply with said Regulations.

The successful Bidder will be responsible for the payment of all salaries, benefits, bonuses, PAYE liabilities and pension contributions in accordance with (i) Fair Deal and (ii) Staff terms and conditions of employment or engagement (whether contractual or otherwise) in respect of the period during which Staff are employed or engaged by the successful bidder.

(WA Ref:145496)

The buyer considers that this contract is suitable for consortia bidding.

5.2

Additional Documentation

5.3

Publication date of this notice