Independent Support Service for Witnesses, Referrers and Members of the Public

This is a Prior Information Notice (PIN) to advertise that the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) plans to run a procurement tender exercise in July 2022 to identify and appoint a supplier who will work with us to provide Independent Support Service for Witnesses, Referrers and Members of the Public. As part of the NMC person-centred approach, and in line with our Fitness to Practise (FtP) strategy, we are committed to providing support to people going through the fitness to practise process. Fitness to practise proceedings can be difficult, stressful and intimidating for witnesses, referrers and members of the public. There is a risk of secondary harm for people reliving their experience as part of an investigation or hearing. We need to be mindful of trauma informed engagement with people we engage with. The NMC require an accessible telephone support line where people, who raise concerns about people on our register, can seek independent support, help and advice. The proposed service should be able to answer calls promptly and be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, as required by the NMC and/or client demand. The model of service delivery should allow for scaling up or down to meet the needs of clients. Additional information: The contract value stated in this PIN is over the contract term including possible extension (initial term 2 years with an option to extend for 1 year).