1516-122 Mental Health Intermediate Care Pathway

Islington Council invites suitable expressions of interest from suitably experienced suppliers for an integrated Mental Health Intermediate Care 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.

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 over the last two years, 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 seeking to re-procure existing services to effectively meet the needs of service users within the borough.

The requirement

The aim of the contract 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

In addition to supporting people in Islington who are known to mental health services, it is expected that this new arrangement will improve the reach of services to those people who don’t access mental health support and care until they are in a crisis. Islington continues to experience significant pressure on acute mental health crisis and inpatient services and there is therefore a need to strengthen community capacity to reach and support people to recover, remain well, and manage mental crises, as far as possible within their communities.

All three services will be integrated, in order to deliver a seamless pathway, available 24 hours a day, seven days per week. The services will complement and underpin the existing clinical crisis pathway delivered by Camden and Islington Foundation Trust (C&IFT).




Lots

The service will be tendered in two Lots:

Lot 1: Reablement and Recovery Services
Providing:
a) Reablement and recovery support in a recovery centre setting (with option to deliver from a Council-owned property on a lease basis, although Provider-owned premises within the borough of Islington will also be considered)
b) Reablement and recovery support and care in the home

Contract Value: £ 480,000 per annum (£240,000 pro-rata for Year 1)

Lot 2: Short-term Crisis Accommodation Service
Providing:
a) Short-term accommodation-based reablement and recovery support, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week (with option to deliver from a Council-owned property on a lease basis, although Provider-owned premises within the borough of Islington will also be considered)

Contract Value: £720,000 per annum (£360,000 pro-rata for Year 1)

Providers may apply for any or all the Lots they are interested in.

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

• An ability to provide the clinical input and governance that this integrated pathway 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 30 months from an estimated start date of 1st October 2016 with the option of three 12-month extensions, to 31 March 2022.

Contract Value

The estimated total value of this contract is £6,600,000 over the maximum 66 months (30 months plus optional extensions, subject to approval) term of the contract. This is based on £1,200,000 per annum (£600,000 pro-rata for Year 1) in total for both Lots.

There is a maximum fixed budget for this service of £1,200,000 per annum. Any bids over this amount will be disqualified.

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.

Cost 30%
Quality 70%

Quality made up of:

Proposed service model including details of: 30%

- Staffing model, including clinical input
- The referral process
- Information sharing arrangements
- Collaborative working with local third sector organisations
- Service accessibility
- The development of peer-led programmes
- Addressing the needs of carers
- Partnership working with statutory and non-statutory agencies
- Supporting service users with complex needs

Proposed approach to quality management of performance and outcomes,
including details of : 20%

- Quality management and performance systems
- Risks to the performance of the contract
- The use of performance and outcomes data to improve and develop services

Proposed approach to service user and carer engagement and activities (part 1 – improving service provision) 5%

Proposed approach to service user and carer engagement and activities
(part 2 - complaints) 5%

Proposed approach to safeguarding and risk management 10%

Total 100%

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

We reserve the right to interview leading bidders.