Advantage Mentoring and Mental Health support for Care Leavers or Looked After Children.

The award of this contract will have a positive impact on young people aged 15-17 who are looked after children (LAC) or care leavers.

This is an enhanced model, providing the only example of a piece of work dedicated to this cohort in the East of England to date. This is based on the Premier League Advantage Mentoring programme. Advantage is a unique partnership between two community assets and anchor institutions - the charitable arms of football clubs; known as Club Community Organisations (CCOs), and their local NHS.

The flagship mental health programme increases access to CAMHS and helps tackle waiting times and reduce Health Inequalities by providing weekly 1-2-1 mentoring support for young people aged 11-21 with mild-moderate mental health and emotional wellbeing support needs.

The programme provides key interventions and assistance for young people to proactively manage their mental wellbeing, re-establish aspirations and a sense of wellbeing.

Young people are screened by a mental health practitioner within CAMHS, who then allocates them a mentor within the CCO. The young person meets with their mentor weekly at the CCOs inspirational facilities for up to six months.

Young people receive relational, goal-based mentoring within a setting that many find more inspiring and engaging than their local CAMH service. The programme is aimed at young people who either do not meet criteria for CAMHS or who would not engage in a traditional mental health intervention.

In addition, the CCO Mentors receive specialist mental health support through weekly supervision with their local CAMHS clinician.

Ipswich Town Football Club Foundation has provided Active Blues, A Healthier Community social prescribing programme since September 2023 and is commissioned to continue provision until 2026. There have been no incidents or issues raised. The addition of this service will enable ITFC Foundation to enhance their offer, with a dedicated offer for mentoring and support for young people aged 15 to 17 who are in care or care leavers.

ITFC Foundation has provided a high-quality safe service as a trusted community organisation, empowering people to make safe choices and is the only Club Community Organisation in the locality.

The contract will be awarded with an initial contract term of 1 year (12 months) (the "Proposed Contract"). The total aggregated value of contract will be £44,000 (the "Proposed Contract").

The ICB believes the Most Suitable Provider Process under the Provider Selection Regime is an appropriate process to award this service and will engage with providers who express an interest.

A F01: Prior information notice (prior information only) Notice reference: 2024/S 000-020836 Published 8 July 2024, 5:28pm was released prior to this notice. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intended approach notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award.