Suffolk Night Owls

Concepts

• ipswich
• health services
• suffolk night owls
• suffolk
• nights
• owls
• night
• registered service users
• additional services
• registered people

Location

Ipswich and East Suffolk Alliance and West Suffolk Alliance areas

Description

A local 7 nights a week emotional support helpline for registered service users including via text and email for registered people with complex needs. This includes those with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder or who present with behaviours typical of such conditions. The service responds to requests to callbacks offering booked and timed appointments in-bound and outbound calls, and registered users can email and text. A twenty-minute slot is allocated and where necessary the helpline staff will make onward professional referrals/contacts including safeguarding. • The service runs 7 nights a week from 6.30pm - 1.00am with calls being taken between 7.00pm and 1.00am. • The services offer time limited number of calls of approximately 20 minutes to offer support but with boundaries required for people with complex needs. • There are approximately 1300 people registered with 770 having not accessed the service to date with approx. 80 regular people in contact with the service. Some are in daily contact through to those with monthly contact. • The calls are RAG rated with the majority being amber rated, with a few being red rated. • Staff training includes Helpline Training; Suicide prevention; Risk Assessment and Management; Safeguarding; KUF and MHFA.

Total Quantity or Scope

The SNO service consists of two trained helpline staff working from 6.30pm to 1.00am manning the incoming calls, ansaphone, emails and texts throughout the night. RAG rating and prioritising calls. - The staff on the helpline shall: • Support the client with their immediate crisis and assist them to develop strategies to deal with life events and gain insight regarding their mental wellbeing. • Suggest techniques for reducing anxiety and negative thoughts. • Focus on keeping the client safe and encouraging them to develop self-help strategies and resilience. • Signpost to the relevant service if deemed necessary when the call is ending, and the caller has not been de-escalated. • Call in the emergency services if required. The NHS Contract Variation will last one year from 1st April 2026 to 31st March 2027 The current service expires on 31st March 2026, and this will provide continuity of care for the registered clients. Recommissioning will be considered based on the findings of the full crisis alternatives review across the new cluster of ICBs with Suffolk and Norfolk and Waveney ICBs. No extension has been planned for this service this single year contract constitutes less than 25% of the total lifetime value of the SNO service (since 2019). Procurement to insert - NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing / previous contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight Friday 17th October 2025 (8 working days following publication of intention to award notice). They should be submitted in writing to procurement@snee.nhs.uk. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Awarded by the Suffolk Mental Health Collaborative 26th July 2025 • No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makers. Procurement to insert - The decision to award this contract in line with Direct Award Process C was based on evaluation against the five required key criteria as follows: • Quality and Innovation - Part Assured- SNEE ICB are partly assured that the provider is delivering a safe and effective service as required by the specification and contract they are currently delivering. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Quality Impact Assessment. • Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering value to the integrated care system and the cost of change would not be outweighed by the potential benefit of a new provider. • Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability - Part Assured - SNEE ICB are partly assured that the provider is positively impacting on the integrated care system through their integration and collaboration delivered as a requirement of the specification or alternative elements linked to the delivery. • Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice - Assured- SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is meeting needs of the population to ensure equitable access and choice as required by the specification and contract. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Equality Impact Assessment. • Social Value - Assured- SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering in line with the SNEE Green Plan, supporting with the implementation of carbon reduction and increase in initiatives which positively impact on the wider determinants of health. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Sustainability Impact Assessment.