All-Age Recovery Coordination Service (AARCS)

Following the conclusion of the internal governance process, Essex County Council ("the Council") is due to award a contract to deliver the AARCS service to the two (2) incumbent providers under the Direct Award Process C of the Provider Selection Regime. Please note that the award of the contract for this service remains subject to the successful conclusion of the standstill period as detailed within section IV of this notice alongside the full organisational details of the incumbent providers.

AARCS provides a range of evidence-based interventions shaped to meet individual needs, as well as ongoing support for individuals who have exited the service/treatment system but who may experience instances of need for acute recovery support.

This service is being commissioned under an initial term of five (5) years with an option to extend for a further two (2) years, thereby resulting in a maximum contractual duration of seven (7) years. The commencement date of this contract will be 1st October 2024 with an expiry date of 30th September 2029 pending the enactment of the optional extension period. For the avoidance of any further doubt, please be advised that if the extension period is enacted, the contract will expire on 30th September 2031.

Please be advised that the stated contract value within section II.I.7 of this notice reflects the aggregate value for the maximum seven (7) year term based on an annual value of £1,957,548.

Following the Council's assessment of the incumbent providers' delivery of the current service against the key criteria within the Provider Selection Regime as outlined below, the Council is assured that the providers are delivering the current AARCS contract to a sufficient standard. Furthermore, the Council is satisfied that the providers will satisfy the proposed new contract to a sufficient standard following a review of the following key criteria:

1. Quality and Innovation
2. Value
3. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability
4. Improving access, reducing health inequality and facilitating choice
5. Social Value

Please be advised that each of the above noted key criteria was assigned an equal weighting of 20%. In addition, the Council conducted this assessment on the basis of the providers' delivery of the contractual key performance indicators alongside due consideration of the national performance of analogous services as reported by the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. The latter part of the Council's assessment of the current service demonstrated that the current provision is performing favourably and exceeding the recorded national evidence across multiple reporting fields.

In addition, the Council assessed the financial value of the current service in line with the reported CIPFA indicators for unit costs of similar services which demonstrated that this service performs favourably in comparison with both neighbouring and comparable local authorities.

In terms of integration, collaboration and service sustainability, the Council has secured positive evidence that both incumbent providers have successfully delivered joint working including but not limited to collaborative work with local schools and Essex Police during the delivery of the current service and this engagement is due to continue under the proposed contract. Furthermore, the Council has secured robust evidence of positive levels of engagement from the individuals who have accessed the service and completed a recovery programme.

In terms of social value, the incumbent providers have demonstrated a commitment to utilising local knowledge of the demographics and geography including insight of any areas of deprivation which is critical to delivering a placed based approach to the delivery of the AARCS service.