Marginalised and Vulnerable Contract

Concepts

• colchester
• health services
• marginalised
• vulnerable
• required health services
• additional services
• mainstream services
• service users
• healthcare services
• high service

Location

Suffolk and North East Essex

Description

The service provides an initial health assessment and subsequent access to mainstream services for marginalised and vulnerable adults such as Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers; homeless people, Gypsies and Travellers, Sex Workers, and Ex-offenders/Offenders. To deliver a culturally aware, culturally sensitive service and culturally competent service that demonstrates appropriate behaviours, attitudes, policies, processes and structures which enable effective working across marginalised and vulnerable communities. Sharing knowledge and expertise regarding cultural competence across the system. To support and assist marginalised and vulnerable adults to overcome barriers in accessing mainstream services including Integrated Neighbourhood Areas (e.g. Connect), providing advocacy, client support, staff training and partnership working to remove barriers which reduce access to primary and secondary services. Provide initial urgent care and support as required. To work collaboratively with GP Practices and support new registrations from the highlighted groups and ensure people with complex needs are supported flexibly depending on need. Ensure liaison and working with partner agencies to provide an integrated approach to the health and social care needs of MVA and avoid service duplication, including substance misuse services. The service shall be required to be flexible and take into account the changing evidence base in order to maintain best practice and provide high service. The service shall continuously measure improved outcomes for service users, and, through memorandums of understanding with other providers across the system, be able to clearly describe where service users have been on their pathway.

Total Quantity or Scope

The service provides an initial health assessment and subsequent access to mainstream services for marginalised and vulnerable adults such as Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers; homeless people, Gypsies and Travellers, Sex Workers, and Ex-offenders/Offenders. Provide initial urgent care and support as required. To work collaboratively with GP Practices and support new registrations from the highlighted groups and ensure people with complex needs are supported flexibly depending on need. Access - the service should facilitate access to mainstream healthcare services in a timely manner. A care plan will be developed for individuals accessing the service which will include a timescale for GP registration. Where possible, and taking into consideration patient preference of GP practice, registration of individuals should be spread amongst practices. This will ensure in the long term that all practices develop skills and expertise in supporting the long-term health and social needs of people who are marginalised and vulnerable. The service will support the homeless to make the transfer to primary medical care services, so they are able to access long term care and be less reliant on immediate and urgent care provided by the service. Advocacy and Support - individuals from marginalised communities may face social issues which impact on their physical health and wellbeing. The service will provide advocacy support and signposting to appropriate organisations that will support individuals in this situation. The service will advocate on behalf of individuals where barriers to accessing healthcare services are experienced. The service will work collaboratively with GP Practices around registration of new Service Users and ensure people with complex needs are supported flexibly depending on need (including attending MDT meetings). The service will be required to develop close working relationships with partner, third sector and VCFSE organisations so that individuals can be referred and then followed up where issues continue to be raised. The service shall provide Health Assessments for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors by following this process: • The service shall receive a CIC health assessment request from the Children in Care Admin Hub in the Suffolk County Council Children in Care Health Team, as well as appropriate referrals from the Essex County Council Social Care Service. • The service shall accept the request, arrange an appointment with the sessional GP and an interpreter • The service shall then complete the initial health assessment and make any appropriate referrals into required health services if counselling or bereavement services are considered as needed • The service shall support the individual to register with a GP and clearly communicate any actions required e.g. update vaccinations • The Local Authority is responsible for carryout the statutory 6 monthly reviews for Children in care and will request the input or review of the sessional GP as required • The service shall work in partnership with the Suffolk County Council Children in Care Health team, as well as the Essex County Council Social Care Service, and the Suffolk Community Health team and contribute to improving the health of children in care in Suffolk and North East Essex following local best practice guidance for children in Care in Section 4 under local standards. The contract is due to start on the 1st of October 2024 with a length of 5 years until the 30th of September 2029, with an option to extend the contract by an additional 5 years dependant on a successful review taking place in the lead up to completion of the first 5 year period. The contract value will be split between a Suffolk wide service over 10 years, and a 1 year pilot to expand the service into North East Essex that may continue if recurrent funds become available to the ICB. 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

Renewal Options

5 year contract with extension of 5 years upon successful review

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85100000 - Health services

Indicators

• Options are available.
• 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 17th July 2024 (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. Awarding Committee: Suffolk and North East Essex ICB Executive Committee No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makes. 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 - Assured - SNEE ICB are 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 - Assured - SNEE ICB are 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.

Other Information

The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed contract to a sufficient standard.