1617-0669 Mental Health Short-Term Crisis Accommodation

Islington Council invites suitable expressions of interest from suppliers for the provision of Mental Health Short-Term Crisis Accommodation. This will provide appropriate support for those entering, or at risk of entering a mental health crisis.

This contract was previously advertised as part of the Mental Health Intermediate Crisis Care Pathway (1516-122). The procurement process was halted to allow for further consultation. The Mental Health Short-Term Crisis Accommodation is now being commissioned as a standalone contract, however it is anticipated that this will form part of the Intermediate Crisis Care Pathway once the other services within the pathway have been procured.


Current status / Background

Islington has experienced significant pressure on acute mental health crisis and inpatient services. This pressure partly stems from a large number of people who present in crisis at A&E, who have not been previously supported by our existing mental health services.

Islington mental health commissioners have consulted widely with service users, carers and professionals in relation to crisis provision, including as part of the development of the Camden and Islington Crisis Concordat Action Plan. This consultation highlighted that whilst there is a range of crisis provision available, the pathway is not clear, and the system is difficult to navigate.

Islington Council is initially seeking to re-procure the Mental Health Short-Term Crisis Accommodation.


The requirement

The Council is seeking to provide a range of services that will support the delivery of an integrated Mental Health Intermediate Crisis Care Pathway (‘the Pathway’) for crisis care in Islington, which will seek to address the challenges of providing appropriate support for those entering, or at risk of entering a mental health crisis.

The aim of the Pathway is to provide support to appropriately meet differing levels of need, supporting those in crisis to recover, whilst ensuring access to resilience-building and recovery-focussed services to support those at risk of entering a mental health crisis. Where appropriate, support will also be provided for carers of people entering, or at risk of entering a mental health crisis.

Services will include:

a) Reablement and recovery support in a recovery centre setting
b) Reablement and recovery support and care in the home
c) Short term accommodation-based reablement and recovery support

This contract is for the delivery of the short-term mental health crisis accommodation only. The Service will provide short-term accommodation-based reablement and recovery support (Crisis Accommodation), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (with option to deliver from a Council-owned property, although Provider-owned premises within the borough of Islington will also be considered).

Tenders will be considered in the form of single providers, or multiple providers in the form of a Lead Provider model, with appropriate sub-contracting arrangements in place as required. Providers will need to demonstrate:

• An ability to provide the clinical input and governance that this service will require.
• Methodology of successful integrated working (including clinical liaison) with the police, substance misuse services, adult social care for people with mental health needs, primary care and secondary mental health services and district general hospitals (including A&E).
• Methodology of successful integrated working with acute mental health services (including clinical liaison) such as Crisis services (including Home Treatment), in-patient mental health services, and psychiatric liaison services.
• Methodology of successful integrated working with local community and voluntary sector mental health organisations.


TUPE [Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations]

Potential providers must be aware that TUPE may or may not apply to this service. Further details will be available in the invitation to tender.


Contract Period

The contract period will be for 24 months from an estimated start date 01/04/2018 with option to extend up to a further 12 + 12 + 12 months.


Contract Value

The estimated total value of this contract is £3,600,000 over the maximum 60 months term of the contract. This is based on £720,000 per annum.


Award criteria

The contract will be awarded to the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations. MEAT for this contract is on the basis of quality 70% and cost 30%. Further details will be provided in the invitation to tender.

Quality 70%
Cost 30%

Quality made up of:

Proposed service model 25%
Proposed approach to management of drop-in transition arrangements 5%
Proposed approach to quality management of performance and outcomes 15%
Proposed approach to co-production with service users and carers 15%
Proposed approach to approach to safeguarding and risk management 10%

Cost made up of:

Unit Cost 15%
Contract Cost 10%
Direct/Indirect Costs 5%



Total 100%

Tenderers should be aware that we reserve the right to hold site visits and/or presentations and/or interviews during the tender process. Site visits and/or presentations and/or interviews will be for verification/clarification purposes of the written submission.

We reserve the right to interview leading bidders.


Procurement Process

This contract is over the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) threshold. The contract will be procured using the Restricted Procedure. The Restricted Procedure means the procurement process will be conducted in two stages.

The first stage will involve selecting a maximum of the 5 highest-scoring organisations through a selection questionnaire (SQ). All submissions will be subject to minimum requirements as stated in the SQ.

The second stage will be an evaluation of tenders submitted by bidders who are selected at the SQ stage.