Integrated All Age Mental Health Services

Concepts

• health services
• maidstone
• mental health services
• young adult mental health
• patient choice services
• better mental health
• young peoples mental health services
• childrens and young people mental health services
• arbitrary age thresholds
• the mental health offer

Location

Kent and Medway

Description

A single integrated contract to provide adult, children's and young people mental health services including all-age eating disorder services (AAED) covering both Kent and Medway.

Total Quantity or Scope

A single integrated contract for the provision of adult, children and young peoples mental health services including AAED covering both Kent and Medway to be mobilised from contract commencement (expected Oct 2025) for a fully integrated service in all areas by 1st April 2026. The contract will operate on a rolling 12 month basis, i.e. with an annual right for the ICB to terminate, up to a maximum initial term of 5 years from contract signature with a right to extend for an additional 3 years. To date, mental health services have been carried out by different providers in Kent and Medway across the age groups. The award of a new all-age mental health contract is in accordance with the ICB's desire to more closely align the delivery of these services to ensure a smooth transition of patient care from child to adult. The integration of mental health services across Kent and Medway is a strategic priority that responds directly to national policy, local need, and the voices of people who use our services. Integration means bringing together different parts of the mental health offer, across ages, settings, and specialisms, ensuring that children, young people and adults experience care that is seamless, consistent and effective. The ICB expect the integration to deliver improved outcomes for patients by enabling earlier intervention, better continuity of care and more holistic support which leads to better mental health and wellbeing for children, young people, and adults. It creates a real opportunity to strengthen our response to young adults, treating them as a distinct group with specific vulnerabilities and needs. This means developing new practice, building a stronger, more capable workforce skilled in young adult mental health, and offering flexible, age-appropriate support that recognises this life stage as a critical window for intervention. Integration removes arbitrary age thresholds by creating a more flexible, needs-based model which meets iTHRIVE principles. Young people no longer fall between the cracks when they turn 18 but have the opportunities to receive developmentally appropriate support through transition and beyond. The expiry of the current contracts for children and young people's mental health services at the end of March 2026 has provided an opportunity for the ICB to strategically align this service provision into this integrated contract. The ICB acknowledges that some elements of this contracting arrangement are also capable of delivery by other suppliers through patient choice arrangements. The ICB is satisfied that Direct Award Process B does not apply to this specific contractual arrangement but there is no intention to limit or restrict the rights of patients or alternative suppliers to deliver patient choice services and this award is without prejudice to such rights.

Award Detail

Renewal Options

The contract term is a 5 year contract with an option to extend for up to a further 3 years.

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Indicators

• Options are available.

Legal Justification

The ICB Board must apply Direct Award Process A of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations to these contract arrangements. Under Regulation 6 (3) where: (a) there is an existing provider of the relevant health care services to which the proposed contracting arrangements relate, (b) the relevant authority is satisfied that the relevant health care services to which the proposed contracting arrangements relate are capable of being provided only by the existing provider due to the nature of the relevant health care services, and (c) the procurement is not to conclude a framework agreement, the relevant authority must follow Direct Award Process A KMPT is the existing provider of the Adult Mental Health Services in Kent and Medway which make up a substantial element of this contracting arrangement; therefore, the first limb is met. This existing contract already entitles KMPT to provide this aspect of the contracting arrangement which is the subject of this notice and therefore the current contract will be folded into the new aligned contracting arrangement. The ICB is satisfied that the second limb is met because the contracting arrangement in question is an integrated service, which must be fully operational by the date at which the current CYPMHS contracts (delivered by another provider) expires at the end of March 2026. As KMPT currently has the contract to provide adult mental health services from 1st April, it would not be possible for this aspect of the relevant contract to be provided by another supplier. Moreover, transition to a new provider for the new aligned service will take a considerable transfer and mobilisation period. Having regard to KMPT's existing infrastructure, facilities and resources, only KMPT could reasonably mobilise a fully aligned all-age service by 1st April 2026. The contracting arrangement is not for a framework and so the third limb is met.

Other Information

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