Community Connector Roles within the Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS) Teams in East Berkshire

Concepts

• health services
• east berkshire
• aldershot
• mhics
• community connector roles
• community service
• mental health
• additional community connector roles
• mental health care
• community mental health

Location

East Berkshire

Description

Frimley Health and Care ICB (the Commissioner) sought to commission Community Connector roles within the MHICS Teams across East Berkshire. Adverts were placed on Contracts Finder and the Find a Tender Service and an Invitation to Tender (ITT) process, based on the Open procedure, was undertaken during summer / autumn 2022 to identify the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and therefore determine the incoming provider. In 2019, the ICB was successfully awarded funding to be one of 12 national early implementer sites to deliver Community Mental Health (CMH) transformation. This has enabled the design and implementation of integrated primary and community mental health care for adults and older adults with Significant Mental Illness (SMI), built around Primary Care Networks (PCNs), so that more patients with SMI are effectively supported in primary care. As part of the ICS-wide CMH transformation programme, there will be a total of 9 MHICS Teams, covering the 10 PCNs across East Berkshire. MHICS offers a service to patients in primary care with significant mental health difficulties who have not met the criteria for, or whose needs are not met by existing primary and secondary care mental health services. Flow into the MHICS service is mainly from primary care, but also for patients stepping down from secondary care and will continue to evolve as part of the One Team approach as the programme continues to transform the way people with mental health needs are supported in their communities. The Community Connectors will form part of the core MHICS team (minimum 1 WTE Community Connector per team). This procurement has been carried out by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners. The project reference number for this opportunity is C87115, (previously WA12808).

Total Quantity or Scope

The Community Connectors will form part of the core MHICS team (minimum 1 WTE Community Connector per team), and their role will include: • Help identify psychoeducational, emotional, socio-economic needs that impact on mental wellbeing through direct 1:1 work with MHICS clients, and use this understanding to support engagement and access to appropriate local and community resources • Actively link, develop and bridge out to the infrastructure of VCSE support services across East Berkshire to offer: - Earlier intervention - Longer appointment time - Practical support and help - Guided self-help resources - Follow ups and ongoing support - Onward bridging where needed - Links with community resources - Particular links into Wellbeing Services and Carer Support • In line with a client's goals and needs, brief psychoeducation/psychosocial approaches may be employed, which, when within their competency, may be delivered by Community Connectors and/or jointly with the Mental Health Practitioners. The Contract will be for an initial term of 2 years, with an option to extend for any period up to a further 24 months. The Contract is due to commence 1st January 2023. The Contract has been awarded to Buckinghamshire Association for Mental Health (t/a Buckinghamshire MIND). The contract value for the initial 2 year contract term is £825,754. There is potential for 2 additional Community Connector roles being required to cover a new Community Rehabilitation Enhanced Service Team (CREST) being established by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in 2022/2023. If the additional roles are required, the contract may be varied to include this additional provision at an estimated financial value of £92,700 per annum. … The project reference number for this opportunity is C87115, (previously WA12808). Additional information: The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but are instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77).

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Other Information

** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** The services are healthcare services falling within Schedule 3 to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 ("the Regulations") which are not subject to the full regime of the Regulations, but is instead governed by the "Light Touch Regime" contained within Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Regulations (Regulations 74 to 77). The tendering process has been conducted in accordance with the requirements and flexibilities provided by Articles 74 to 76 of the Directive, and Regulations 74 to 76 of the Regulations. The Authority ran a transparent tender process, treating all Bidders equally. For the avoidance of doubt, the Authority will not be bound by the Regulations or the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union or any other regulations or legislation except for the specific parts or circumstances that apply to the procurement of these Services. Neither the inclusion of a selection stage, nor the use of any language or terms found in the Directive or Regulations, nor the description of the procedure voluntarily adopted by the Authority ("Open", "Restricted", "Competitive Procedure with Negotiation", "Competitive Dialogue" or any other description), nor any other indication, shall be taken to mean that the Authority intends to hold itself bound by the Directive or Regulations, save by the provisions applicable to services coming within the scope of Annex XIV of the Directive / Schedule 3 of the Regulations. The Contracting Authority has voluntarily observed the award decision notices provisions and held a 10 day standstill period as described in Regulation 86 of the Regulations. Deadline for lodging of appeals should be in accordance with Regulation 87 and Regulation 91 of the Regulations.