Award

DoLS Assessments

CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD

This public procurement record has 2 releases in its history.

Award

02 Jun 2026 at 11:25

Award

02 Jun 2026 at 10:15

Summary of the contracting process

The procurement process led by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, in collaboration with NHS Wales Shared Services Partnerships, focuses on the provision of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessments. This service falls under the category of community health services and is located in Cardiff, United Kingdom. The contract award notice was published on 2nd June 2026. This procurement employs a direct award method due to regulatory exemptions concerning horizontal arrangements, reflecting the unique requirements of statutory compliance under the Mental Capacity Act. The awarded contract is set to start on 15th June 2026 and runs through 7th June 2027, with opportunities for annual renewals up to 2029.

For businesses, particularly those with expertise in providing statutory health services or working closely with public health authorities, this contract offers substantial opportunities. As the service must be delivered by statutory bodies, entities experienced in public service provision and those capable of fulfilling regulatory duties under the amended Mental Capacity Act stand to benefit the most. The contract's timely renewal potential presents an opportunity for sustained business growth and the fostering of long-term partnerships with public health boards and local authorities. Large-scale organisations, like the awarded Vale of Glamorgan Council, that can navigate complex statutory environments while adhering to public interest objectives, would be ideally suited for this type of engagement.

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How relevant is this notice?

Notice Title

DoLS Assessments

Notice Description

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are an amendment to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (the 'Act'), and provides protection for vulnerable people, in care homes or hospitals who lack capacity to consent to the care or treatment they need. In 2014, following a Supreme Court ruling, the law in relation to DoLS changed, meaning the Act applied to far more people than it had previously, with the number of people subject to DoLS increasing significantly. In 2019 the law was changed with an amended Mental Capacity Act (2019) (MCA). The MCA (amendment) 2019 was to put in place new legislation, the publication of a new code, and regulations under Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS). These changes were originally scheduled to replace the DoLS legislation and procedures from 1 October 2020. However, in April 2023 the Department of Health and Social Care announced the implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019, would be delayed "beyond the life of this Parliament" (therefore beyond Autumn 2024). As such, the existing DoLS policies, rules and regulations are still extant. The DoLS Team provide the service in line with statutory requirements from Mental Capacity Act 2005 (as amended, 2009) and therefore, it must be provided by a statutory body. As a 'Managing Authority', Cardiff and Vale UHB have responsibility for applying to the relevant Supervisory Body for authorisation of a deprivation of liberty for any person who may come within the scope of the Safeguards. Cardiff and Vale UHB have a long-standing tripartite agreement, with both Cardiff and the Vale Local Authorities, which provides that the Vale LA will act as the 'Supervisory Body' for our geographical area in the form of the DoLS Team. Under this agreement the UHB contributes funds on a proportional basis (45%) for the provision of this service. As the Supervisory Body, the DoLS team receive requests for authorisations and arrange for the relevant assessments to be completed to establish whether it would be appropriate and lawful to deprive the person of their liberty in hospital, in order to provide care and treatment. Without this authorisation, the UHB is in breach of Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires that 'no one shall be deprived of his or her liberty [unless] in accordance with a procedure prescribed in law]'. This contract in an exemption under Schedule 2.2.3 of the 2023 Procurement Act which states a contract is exempt from a formal procurement process if it is a horizontal arrangement. A "horizontal arrangement" means an arrangement-- (a) entered into-- (i) with the aim of achieving objectives the authorities have in common in connection with the exercise of their public functions; (ii) solely in the public interest;

Procurement Information

The service must be provided by a statutory local authority acting as the Supervisory Body under the Mental Capacity Act, with no alternative providers available. This contract in an exemption under Schedule 2.2.3 of the 2023 Procurement Act which states a contract is exempt from a formal procurement process if it is a horizontal arrangement. A "horizontal arrangement" means an arrangement-- (a) entered into-- (i) with the aim of achieving objectives the authorities have in common in connection with the exercise of their public functions; (ii) solely in the public interest;

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06ab3d
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/051845-2026
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK6 - Contract Award Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Direct
Procurement Method Details
Direct award
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services


CPV Codes

85323000 - Community health services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£960,000 £500K-£1M
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Jun 20262 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
1 Jun 20262 days ago
Contract Period
14 Jun 2026 - 7 Jun 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Complete
Awards Status
Pending
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
CARDIFF AND VALE UNIVERSITY HEALTH BOARD
Additional Buyers

NHS WALES SHARED SERVICES PARTNERSHIPS

Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
CARDIFF
Postcode
CF14 4HH
Post Town
Cardiff
Country
Wales

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLL Wales
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLL5 South East Wales
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLL51 Central Valleys and Bridgend
Delivery Location
Not specified

Local Authority
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Electoral Ward
Taff's Well
Westminster Constituency
Cardiff North

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

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