Suicide Bereavement Service

In this present instance, Leicestershire County Council is undertaking procurement on behalf of itself and Leicester City Council to identify and appoint a single service provider for a Suicide Bereavement Service.

Individuals bereaved by suicide are themselves at increased risk of suicide, suicide ideation, depression and poor social functioning. This service, Supporting People Bereaved by Suicide, will provide comprehensive support for people bereaved or affected by a death by suicide. The aims of the bereavement support component of the program will be to:
• Offer and provide timely and appropriate support;
• Provide accessible, local face-to-face counselling where appropriate;
• Increase access to information about services and resources that are available;
• Improve the range and quality of bereavement support after a death by suicide;
• Provide a point of contact for those bereaved by suicide to leave a request for support, available 24/7;
• Raise awareness of the incidence of suicide or attempted suicide in those who have been bereaved by suicide in primary and secondary care.
• Use evidence-based approaches to enhance the ability of public sector staff including NHS staff and police to better understand and support the needs of those who have been bereaved by suicide.

The bereavement service will consider the needs of different communities in Leicester and Leicestershire. It will also take note of social factors such as relationships, unemployment, deprivation and faith which may be barriers to accessing bereavement support. More information on the Councils’ requirements can be found in the Specification at Schedule 2 of the ITT document.

The Councils propose to enter into separate Contracts with the successful Tenderer (Supplier) for a maximum period of 1 years, with the option to extend for up to a further period(s) totalling 48 months (therefore bringing the maximum possible duration of the contract term to up to 5 years). The anticipated contract commencement date is 1st October 2019. The anticipated value of the Requirements is approximately £75,000 per annum. For the total maximum period of the contract, including all optional extensions, the anticipated value of the Requirements is approximately £375,000.00. Tenderers should note that the annual value of requirements in Years 3, 4 and 5, is subject to available funding. In future years of the contract, there is the possibility that the service may be extended to cover the Rutland area. Should this happen, the additional value of this requirement would be worth up to an additional £5,000.00 per annum.