Planning

Healthwatch

CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

16 Apr 2025 at 11:25

Summary of the contracting process

Cheshire West and Chester Council, in collaboration with Cheshire East Council, is in the planning stage for a tender titled "Healthwatch" in the health and social work services category. This initiative involves the review and re-commissioning of the Healthwatch Cheshire service and the NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy Services (ICAS), with the current contract concluding on 31 March 2026. The councils invite market engagement and feedback from potential service providers to improve their market knowledge. Interested parties must complete a questionnaire by midday on 9 May 2025. The services will be delivered across the Cheshire West & Chester and Cheshire East regions, with services aiming to commence on 1 April 2026 and continue until 31 March 2029, with possible extensions up to 31 March 2031.

This tender presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in health and social care services to expand their portfolio and influence the local health and social care landscape. SMEs and VCSEs are particularly encouraged to participate. By engaging in this procurement process, organisations can contribute to the delivery of independent health and social care advocacy and complainant support services, thus reinforcing their credibility and presence in the sector. Companies with expertise in health advocacy, patient rights, and social care services will find this tender especially fitting, providing the chance to make a substantial impact on local communities.

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Notice Title

Healthwatch

Notice Description

Cheshire West & Chester Council and Cheshire East Council are reviewing its current jointly commissioned Healthwatch Cheshire service and NHS Independent Complaints Advocacy Services (ICAS) which has a contract end date of 31 March 2026. Accordingly, we would like to hear from the market as an initial step to help improve our market knowledge and to gauge the appetite of providers for delivering such services going forward. Any useful information you can provide will be appreciated and treated in confidence. We are seeking initial feedback from organisations who are interested in delivering the Healthwatch Cheshire service across Cheshire West & Chester and Cheshire East Councils. We have attached a questionnaire for completion. Interested organisations are therefore invited to complete the attached questionnaire by no later than midday 9 May 2025. Information about Healthwatch Cheshire: The national vision for local Healthwatch is that it will be the independent consumer voice for health and social care. It will benefit the population including members of the public, carers, patients, service user by helping people to get the best out of health and social care services, helping services to be more responsive to what people need and want, and improving outcomes. The local vision for the service is that it will build and have a reputation for being a visible, robust, and credible player in the local health and social care economy by demonstrating that it has the appropriate level of skills, experience and competencies required to deliver its statutory functions to the highest possible level. Healthwatch Cheshire will gain the trust of the general public as well as other health and social care stakeholder groups by being responsive and acting on positive and negative feedback, making sure local voices are heard. The primary purpose of the Healthwatch Cheshire service is to act as an independent champion and voice for residents to help monitor and shape local health and social care services. This is achieved by actively gathering the opinions and experiences of local people in using these services and producing valuable and timely feedback for the NHS and local authority service commissioners. The information would then be used to influence the delivery and design of local health and social care services. Local authorities also have a duty to commission an Independent Complaints Advocacy service (ICAS). This service will be delivered as part of the recommission of Healthwatch Cheshire. The delivery and purpose of the Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) which will be delivered and provided across the local authority geographical areas of Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East - is to provide help and support to individuals to understand their rights and to make an informed decision, to access information and independent advocacy and understand what their options are if they need help to complain about NHS services. The service will support residents with a complaint or grievance related to any aspect of healthcare as described in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. This includes that which falls under the jurisdiction of the Health Service Ombudsman, such as complaints about poor treatment or service provided through the NHS in England supporting the individual through the NHS Complaints process to ensure they get the best possible resolution. Healthwatch England and local Healthwatch organisations work together, sharing expertise, information, and learning to improve health and social care services. A local Healthwatch has legal powers which are clearly set out and described by Healthwatch England. These include and annual report, enter and view powers, representation at the local Health and Wellbeing Board and overview and scrutiny of services.

Planning Information

Please refer to the Chest, www.the-chest.org.uk for details on how to apply and link to the questionnaire. Follow up meetings may be held with companies who complete the questionnaire. These would be on TEAMs if required and dates and times will be confirmed.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-0503f4
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/015529-2025
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85000000 - Health and social work services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
16 Apr 202510 months ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
9 May 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
31 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029 3-4 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER COUNCIL
Additional Buyers

CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL

Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
centralprocurement@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk, procurementeast@cheshireeast.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
ELLESMERE PORT
Postcode
CH65 0BA
Post Town
Chester
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD6 Cheshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD62 Cheshire East
Delivery Location
TLD6 Cheshire

Local Authority
Cheshire East
Electoral Ward
Crewe Central
Westminster Constituency
Crewe and Nantwich

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

Download

The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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