The Provision of Child and Young Peoples Mental Health Services Wellbeing Café

CPV: Social work and related services

Procedure method

Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition

Legal basis

CELEX · 32014L0024 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Directive 2014/24/EU)

Procurement category

Services

Notice status

Awarded without competition

Procurement threshold

Unspecified in notice

Regulatory regime

Standard

Commercial structure

Stand-alone contract (no framework)

Competition type

Direct award (no call for competition)

GPA / WTO covered

Yes (GPA)

Recurring procurement

Unspecified in notice

First published

3 May 2023, 11:33 BST

Last source update

3 May 2023, 11:33 BST

FTS notice number

2023/S 000-012622

Classification (CPV)

Social work and related services

Delivery area

East of England (UKH23)

Official registry OCID

ocds-h6vhtk-03c5e9 Find a Tender

Why no open competition

The procurement falls outside the scope of application of the directive

Published justification

There are significant pressures on the wider CYPMHS (Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Service) system, the reasons contributing to this were not ones we could have foreseen, they related to workforce, complexity in presentations, increased referrals, long waits for support in both health and social care and a lack of support for Neurodivergent population. The pressures are observed within both primary and secondary care services, as well as social care and education and we must be responsive and innovative in order to address these issues.

A JSNA (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment) report completed by Public Health (Demand of Mental Health on Local Services) has shown further reasons for the increased Mental Health Demand within services that resonate with our CYPMHS system:

• Too many new referrals for mental health that organisations can cope with.
• Reduced capacity due to staff leaving due to work pressures and difficulties in recruiting.
• Lack of communication and partnership working between agencies.
• Waiting lists for mental health support are too long, so referrals to other services are made to 'bridge the gap'.
• Avoidance of criminal justice routes by using mental health routes, (e.g. CTR and CETRs) has increased demand.
• Schools not meeting children's emotional and additional needs
• Less early intervention help for mental health needs, so people are reaching crisis point before they get support.
• Societal factors such as the Ukraine war and the cost-of-living crisis is having a wider impact on people's mental health.

Demand for specialist services is still increasingly high. There is also a high proportion of CYP (Children and Young People) who are not meeting thresholds for specialist service but would benefit from an early help mental health offer. Ongoing staff recruitment, retention and absence is further exacerbating the pressures. To alleviate this pressure and support CYP at the earliest stage before escalation Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) have looked at providing a pilot service that can support and provide initial help with CYP's Wellbeing at the earliest point in need.

As the money for this Mental Health Service Wellbeing Cafe is non-recurrent funding and HCC have not provided a service such as this before, HCC are looking to pilot the service for 12 months in the first instance. During the 12 months HCC will undertake service review/evaluation, with a view to completing an appropriate procurement process following the review, if the service is meeting the expected outcomes and further funding is available.

This pilot is primarily aimed at CYP with low-level mental health concerns who would benefit most from early help emotional wellbeing support. Increasing provision and access to good, effective 'advice' and/or 'help' for CYP who present with low-level emotional wellbeing concerns (e.g. low mood/depression, anxiety, emotional regulation) could significantly improve their outcomes, support them to stay well, reduce crisis presentations and create a better flow of demand and capacity across the system.

• Hertfordshire Mind NetworkAwarded supplierGB-CHC: 1112487 501, St Albans Road, Watford, East of England, WD24 7RZ

No document links were published on the notice.