---
title: "Mental Health Support Teams in Mid and South Essex"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-030471"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-030471"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030471.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030471.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS THURROCK CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP"
published: "2022-03-25"
---

# Mental Health Support Teams in Mid and South Essex

Buyer: NHS THURROCK CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-030471

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## Summary

The tender for "Mental Health Support Teams in Mid and South Essex" was initiated by multiple Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), including NHS Thurrock, NHS Basildon & Brentwood, NHS Castle Point and Rochford, NHS Southend, and NHS Mid Essex. The contract aims to enhance mental health support services aimed at children and young people in education settings. It has transitioned through the tender stage and awarded on 24th January 2022, with a total contract value of £6,592,347, effective from 1st January 2022 and set to expire on 31st August 2025. The procurement method used was a limited procedure without prior publication, necessitated by the ambitious timelines outlined by NHS England and Improvement.

This contract presents a significant opportunity for businesses specialising in mental health services, especially those focusing on child and adolescent well-being. Companies with expertise in education support, mental health services, and collaborative community initiatives would find this procurement process particularly relevant. As NHS resources aim to integrate Mental Health Support Teams within existing structures, there is potential for partnerships and subcontracting opportunities for providers looking to expand their reach in the public sector. Engaging as a partner in these efforts would not only enhance service delivery for mental health but also enable businesses to contribute to the well-being of children and young people across the Mid and South Essex region.

## Notice

NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Basildon & Brentwood CCG, NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG, NHS Southend CCG, NHS Thurrock CCG (hereinafter called 'the Authority') are publishing this Contract Award Notice in association with the voluntary ex ante transparency notice (2020/S 177-428800) published 11th September 2021, as amended by Corrigendum (2022/S 000-002100) on 24th January 2022, confirming the award of a contract to NELFT for provision of Mental Health Support Teams 1st January 2022 that will expire on 31st August 2025, at an aggregate contract value of PS6,592,347 (including VAT), equating to PS5,493,622 (excluding VAT).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are new services designed to support mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in and around schools and colleges. The teams were described in Transforming children and young people's mental health provision: a Green Paper and they are a key element of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. The CCGs are developing a multi-year trajectory and a regional plan for future MHST waves (Waves 5 , 7 and 9) from 2022 to 2025 in accordance with NHSE's "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision Green Paper". A further six teams are being allocated to Mid and South Essex and the proposed total aggregate contract value is PS6,592,347. NHSE have decided nationally to move away from the current annualised bidding process for funding relating to Mental Health Support Teams that CCG's had to undertake previously, to a multi-year approach. This was to ensure the NHS achieve at least 20-25% coverage nationally by 2023/25 in line with the proposals within the in "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision Green Paper". Additionally, it means that the NHS can take a longer-term view and thus: * Ensure more equitable coverage across (& within Regions) * It will allow local areas more time to plan and prepare for future waves e.g. engaging with key partners locally at an earlier stage. * It will support local systems and regions transition MHSTs to 'business as usual' in preparation for the expected continuation and expansion of roll out of MHSTs beyond 2023/25. NHSE/I's 'Delivery Support Pack' for CCG's stated in the operating principles that as part of the funding being awarded, MHSTs should be additional to, and integrated with, existing support. The CCGs were expected in their funding application to reflect how the MHST offer is integrated with the existing local offer. NHSE/I set a clear expectation that a broad coalition of partners spanning a range of education settings, local authorities including public health, the voluntary sector, Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) and local providers collaborate with CCGs in steering and supporting local implementation. In light of considerable mobilisation risks associated with any transfer of service, and the ambitious timescales mandated by NHSE/I, the CCGs decided that the best solution to ensure that children and young people in Mid and South Essex continue to benefit from MHST is to integrate with the CYP MH provider, who is uniquely placed to successfully deliver MHST and its future expansion programme, within the mandated timescales. This Contract Award Notice follows the publication of a voluntary ex ante transparency notice (2020/S 177-428800) published 11th September 2021, as amended by Corrigendum (2022/S 000-002100) on 24th January 2022. Additional information: The Service to which this procurement relates fall within Schedule 3 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 as amended by as amended by The Public Procurement (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, (the "Regulations"). As such, the Contracting Authority does not intend to hold itself bound by any of the Regulations, save those applicable to Schedule 3 Services.

### Procurement Information

The delivery timescales mandated by NHSE/I in relation to successfully bidding for and then subsequently implementing waves 5, 7 and 9 MHST were ambitious, reflecting the importance attached to further roll out of MHST as a key component of the Mental Health offer for children and young people. In accordance with this national process, early 2021, regions were expected to engage with local systems to develop multi-year trajectories and plans, working with their respective Sustainable Transformation Partnerships or Integrated Care Systems to develop plans for the delivery of MHSTs across waves 5, 7 and 9 their area, with support from NHSEI, DfE & HEE throughout. In April 2021, the regional trajectories and delivery plans were shared with National team, who conducted an assessment and assurance of such multi-year trajectories and plans. From May 2021 onwards; the regions mobilised the future waves of MHSTs that they have been granted via fair share allocation, through the process. This includes the beginning of MHST workforce recruitment and regions mobilising the new MHSTs with a national support offer. Whilst it is stated that each Region can determine what approach they take to deliver the requirements, there is a clear expectation that regional plans will be developed collaboratively with key partners, overseen by a Multi-Agency Working Group who will make the decision about where future teams are placed. NHSE/I's 'Delivery Support Pack' for CCG's stated in the operating principles that as part of the funding being awarded, MHSTs should be additional to, and integrated with, existing support. The CCGs were expected in their funding application to reflect how the MHST offer is integrated with the existing local offer. NHSE/I set a clear expectation that a broad coalition of partners spanning a range of education settings, local authorities including public health, the voluntary sector, Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) and local providers collaborate with CCGs in steering and supporting local implementation. There are significant mobilisation risks, particularly around workforce recruitment and training to secure competent staff at the appropriate levels of seniority to successfully deliver waves 5, 7 and 9 of the MHST in Mid and South Essex. The scale of work includes; working in partnership with HEE and HEI's to deliver a capable workforce, recruiting staff to teams, supporting staff through training, ensuring the ability to mobilise the appropriate blend of clinical and administrative personnel to deliver MHST, ensuring clear and appropriate local governance of MHSTs, ensuring integration with other elements of the local offer, and working in partnership with Regional Implementation Teams (DfE) and the wider education system to ensure education settings are engaged and ready to receive MHSTs and their service. In light of these risks and the ambitious timescales mandated by NHSE/I, the CCGs deem that the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive with negotiated procedure cannot be complied with. Even if a provider were identified via an accelerated procurement procedure, there would be insufficient time to complete a robust contract mobilisation involving critical mobilisation risks, particularly around workforce recruitment and training, to meet the delivery trajectory. If the CCGs cannot meet this timeline, there is an unacceptable risk that mid and south Essex will be removed as an area from the NHSE/I pilot scheme and funding will be lost, meaning MHST cannot be delivered in mid and south Essex. The CCGs decided to integrate with the existing CYP MH provider, who is uniquely placed and the only technically capable provider to successfully deliver MHST and its future expansion programme, within the mandated timescales. As such the CCGs propose to award a contract to NELFT for the provision of MHST commencing 1st April 2022.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008202-2022 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 25 Mar 2022 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Oct 2021 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £8,898,469 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS THURROCK CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP |
| Additional buyers | NHS BASILDON AND BRENTWOOD CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP; NHS CASTLE POINT AND ROCHFORD CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP; NHS MID ESSEX CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP; NHS SOUTHEND CLINICAL COMMISSIONING GROUP |
| Locality | GRAYS |
| Post town | Romford |
| Postcode | RM17 6SL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH31 Southend-on-Sea |
| Local authority | Southend-on-Sea |
| Electoral ward | Victoria |
| Westminster constituency | Southend East and Rochford |
| Delivery location | TLH3 Essex |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | NELFT NHS FOUNDATION TRUST |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 25 Mar 2022 at 16:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/008202-2022
- 24 Jan 2022 at 22:45 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/002100-2022
- 21 Dec 2021 at 22:45 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031994-2021

## Notice URLs

- https://basildonandbrentwoodccg.nhs.uk/
- https://castlepointandrochfordccg.nhs.uk/
- https://midessexccg.nhs.uk/
- https://southendccg.nhs.uk/
- https://www.basildonandbrentwoodccg.nhs.uk
- https://www.thurrockccg.nhs.uk/

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-030471. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-030471.json.