NHS South Yorkshire ICB British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapies

This notice is an intention to award a contract under the most suitable provider process. This is a new service to be provided by a new provider.The contract will run for two years from the date of the award of the contract.<br/><br/>In arriving at the decision NHS South Yorkshire ICB have used the following criteria:<br/><br/>Key criteria 1. Quality and innovation- Weighting 25%<br/><br/>SY ICB is satisfied that SignHealth meets the quality and innovation criterion to a sufficient standard for this specialist BSL Talking Therapies service. SignHealth has delivered a comparable national NHS England BSL Talking Therapies service and reports recovery rates rising year on year (55.9%, 59.3%, 61.9%) with reliable improvement remaining high (78.3%, 78.4%, 77.4%), and local South Yorkshire outcomes reported as 61.5% recovery and 80% reliable improvement. The proposed model aligns to the NHS Talking Therapies Manual and NICE recommended interventions through a stepped-care approach, with Step 2 and Step 3 interventions delivered directly in BSL by appropriately trained and accredited clinicians, avoiding reliance on interpreters and supporting clinical safety and effectiveness. Quality assurance is supported through BSL-delivered clinical supervision, governance oversight by a highly specialist clinical psychologist, and routine outcomes monitoring using BSL-adapted PHQ-9, GAD-7 and WSAS, alongside TT dataset submissions via MHSDS to NHS England. Innovation is evidenced through the provider’s bespoke BSL computerised CBT content delivered via the SilverCloud platform as part of a blended offer.<br/><br/>Key criteria 2. Value - Weighting 20%<br/><br/>SY ICB is satisfied that SignHealth offers good value for this low-volume, highly specialist clinical service, based on the balance of costs, overall benefits and the financial implications of the proposed arrangement. The staged quarterly payments linked to monthly MHSDS submissions, quarterly contract management, and delivery of access and outcome expectations, including a minimum of 20 people accessing by the end of Year 1 and 40 people by the end of Year 2. SignHealth’s delivery model provides direct BSL assessment and therapy without reliance on interpreters, which supports efficient use of clinical time and reduces avoidable duplication and additional travel associated with interpreter-supported appointments. The provider also confirms mobilisation using established workforce, systems and infrastructure and routine outcomes monitoring, which reduces set-up costs and supports transparent assurance of benefit for spend.<br/><br/>Key criteria 3. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability - Weighting 20%<br/><br/>SignHealth’s model supports integration through multiple referral routes, including self-referral, GP referral, referrals from local NHS Talking Therapies services, and referrals from other health, social care and voluntary sector professionals, supported by accessible contact channels. The provider provides prompt triage and BSL-delivered assessment, with clear communication where people are not suitable and collaborative onward referral to other services where additional needs are identified. SignHealth also commits to working with local health, social care and voluntary sector organisations to support effective care pathways, alongside ongoing engagement with BSL users and stakeholders to shape delivery. SignHealth states the service can commence immediately and mobilisation does not rely on new systems or significant recruitment because core workforce, governance and digital infrastructure are already established, with monthly dataset submissions and quarterly contract management arrangements in place from day one. <br/><br/>Key criteria 4. Improving Access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choiceWeighting 25%<br/><br/>SignHealth sets out a BSL-first access model, with Deaf-friendly referral information and online referral forms, and accessible contact routes including online, email, text-based communication and video relay services. The provider describes delivery directly in BSL, Deaf-to-Deaf, with no third-party interpreters, which addresses a core barrier in standard provision and supports culturally and linguistically appropriate care. SignHealth also describes practical actions to support engagement and reduce drop-out, including waiting-list support resources, a monthly text message to confirm the person remains on the waiting list, and an accessible crisis list with video-call and text-based options. Choice is supported through a blended offer delivered in line with clinical need and preference, including remote and face-to-face options where clinically appropriate, and provision of BSL self-help and psychoeducation materials while waiting. The provider also frames the model as supporting statutory accessibility duties, referencing the Equality Act 2010, the Accessible Information Standard, and the British Sign Language Act 2022. <br/><br/>Key criteria 5. Social Value - Weighting 10%<br/><br/>Deaf BSL users face barriers in mainstream provision and need care delivered in their first or preferred language. SignHealth describes a BSL-first model where assessment and treatment are delivered directly in BSL by BSL-fluent clinicians, without reliance on interpreters, supporting accessible and culturally safe care. The provider proposes multiple referral routes, including self-referral, GP and local NHS Talking Therapies referrals, and access via BSL-accessible channels such as online forms, email, text-based communication and video relay, supporting patient choice in how people enter the service. SignHealth also sets out practical reasonable adjustments that support engagement and reduce inequalities, including accessible service materials in BSL or Deaf-friendly English, BSL-adapted outcome measures, waiting-list support, and crisis and signposting information in BSL. The contract framework also expects equitable access across places with monitoring through routine data submissions, which aligns with the provider’s routine outcomes and dataset reporting approach. The BSL-first delivery model reduces avoidable travel by removing the need for interpreter attendance alongside appointments, supporting the fighting climate change theme, and it sustains specialist Deaf employment and progression through a deaf-led workforce, supporting equal opportunity and wider social value.