---
title: "Affinity Vanguard Programme"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-042a30"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-042a30"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-042a30.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-042a30.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD"
published: "2024-02-01"
---

# Affinity Vanguard Programme

Buyer: NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-042a30

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## Summary

The NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board has awarded a contract for the Affinity Vanguard Programme to HCRG. The contract is for health services and has an expected value of £2,291,940 over a four-year period, starting on 1st April 2024 and ending on 31st March 2028. HCRG has been providing this service since September 2021 and the total cumulative value of the contract is £1,730,865 up to March 2024, excluding VAT. The Vanguard aims to improve the wellbeing of children and young people by providing trauma-informed care and evidence-based support for those with complex needs.

This tender presents an opportunity for businesses in the health services sector to compete for contracts focused on improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people. The procurement method used was a limited award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition. Companies experienced in delivering integrated care services for vulnerable populations, with expertise in mental health support and education, would be well-suited to compete for this type of contract. The contracting authority, the NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, is committed to ensuring positive outcomes for the most vulnerable individuals in the community through this ongoing programme of works.

## Notice

This is a Contract Award Notice to communicate a contract award made by the Contracting Authority; Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") in compliance with their local standing financial instructions (SFIs). On 29th December 2023, the Authority published a Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT) (Reference 2023/S 000-038046) to inform the market of its intention to award the contract. The Authority applied a voluntary 10-day standstill period prior to conclusion of the contract. The contract award is made to HCRG for the provision of the Affinity Vanguard Programme. The proposed new contract is intended to start on 1st April 2024 and end on 31st March 2028. The expected value of this contract is PS2,291,940. The value expressed in this notice is the expected value of the 4-year period. Please note that these are expected values and may be amended post contract finalisation with the provider. HCRG has been providing this service since September 2021 and is due to expire on 31st March 2024. The total cumulative value of the contract since it started from 2021 to 2024 is PS1,730,865, forecast to 31st March 2024, (excluding VAT and excluding the value of this new contract).

### Lot Information

Lot 1

This is a Contract Award Notice to communicate a contract award made by the Contracting Authority; Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board, (hereinafter referred to as "the Authority") in compliance with their local standing financial instructions (SFIs). On 29th December 2023, the Authority published a Voluntary Ex-Ante Transparency Notice (VEAT) (Reference 2023/S 000-038046) to inform the market of its intention to award the contract. The Authority applied a voluntary 10-day standstill period prior to conclusion of the contract. The contract award is made to HCRG for the provision of the Affinity Vanguard Programme. The proposed new contract is intended to start on 1st April 2024 and end on 31st March 2028. The expected value of this contract is PS2,291,940. The value expressed in this notice is the expected value of the 4-year period. Please note that these are expected values and may be amended post contract finalisation with the provider. HCRG has been providing this service since September 2021 and is due to expire on 31st March 2024. The total cumulative value of the contract since it started from 2021 to 2024 is PS1,730,865, forecast to 31st March 2024, (excluding VAT and excluding the value of this new contract). Following the success of the Power project across Southend Essex and Thurrock, (SET), West Essex CCG was approached by NHSE/I and invited to submit an EOI to be a Vanguard for applying the Framework for Integrated Care across SET in December 2021, with an award made in August 2021. This provides an opportunity for health, education, social care and health and justice partners to work together to co-design a model across Southend Essex and Thurrock. There is a cohort of vulnerable children and young people between the ages of 0-18 with complex needs who experience some of the highest levels of health inequality. Their needs are defined as 'complex', as they often are multiple, persistent, severe and framed by family and social contexts i.e. prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences The Framework is designed using evidence-informed best practice to integrate and support services in order to intervene earlier in the pathway and stop children and young people's progression into the justice and secure estate, or an unnecessary Tier 4 hospital admission, or other inappropriate out of area placement; providing better outcomes for all. The Affinity proposal was created in conjunction with partners across the system; the criteria was to invest in additional support for the most vulnerable children and young people who have complex needs and can be described as presenting with high risk, high harm behaviours and high vulnerability. The offer aims to build trauma-informed care and formulation-driven, evidence based whole system approach to providing integrated support and creating change for the most vulnerable. The key objective for this Vanguard is to improve CYP wellbeing, displaying direct improvement in their mental health, and emotional regulation; especially to flourish in education and learning. Our vision is to ensure that children and young people are enabled to lead an improved purpose in life including education; that they are supported by staff to re-enter/remain in mainstream education where appropriate, and to enjoy and achieve through positive learning experiences. This will also enable them to further improve educational attendance and engagement as well as preventing sanctions, planned isolations and school exclusions.

### Procurement Information

Following the success of the Power project across Southend Essex and Thurrock, (SET), West Essex CCG was approached by NHSE/I and invited to submit an EOI to be a Vanguard for applying the Framework for Integrated Care across SET in December 2021, with an award made in August 2021. This provides an opportunity for health, education, social care and health and justice partners to work together to co-design a model across Southend Essex and Thurrock. There is a cohort of vulnerable children and young people between the ages of 0-18 with complex needs who experience some of the highest levels of health inequality. Their needs are defined as 'complex', as they often are multiple, persistent, severe and framed by family and social contexts i.e. prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences The Framework is designed using evidence-informed best practice to integrate and support services in order to intervene earlier in the pathway and stop children and young people's progression into the justice and secure estate, or an unnecessary Tier 4 hospital admission, or other inappropriate out of area placement; providing better outcomes for all. The Affinity proposal was created in conjunction with partners across the system; the criteria was to invest in additional support for the most vulnerable children and young people who have complex needs and can be described as presenting with high risk, high harm behaviours and high vulnerability. The offer aims to build trauma-informed care and formulation-driven, evidence based whole system approach to providing integrated support and creating change for the most vulnerable. The key objective for this Vanguard is to improve CYP wellbeing, displaying direct improvement in their mental health, and emotional regulation; especially to flourish in education and learning. Our vision is to ensure that children and young people are enabled to lead an improved purpose in life including education; that they are supported by staff to re-enter/remain in mainstream education where appropriate, and to enjoy and achieve through positive learning experiences. This will also enable them to further improve educational attendance and engagement as well as preventing sanctions, planned isolations and school exclusions. The Vanguard draws upon the learning of the POWER programme, the schools wellbeing teams in Southend and Thurrock and the development work by our MH provider. This programme has now been in operation since September 2021 and is performing very well. The contract was awarded to HCRG. NHSE Health and Justice (H&J) has confirmed that funding for the current financial year 2023/24, is PS572,985. NHSE H&J has also confirmed that this funding is now in place until 31st March 2028, and will be granted to HWE ICB for a continuation of this programme of works. This funding will be until 31 March 2028 and is ring fenced funding and can be used only for this service. The service will be delivered by HCRG, they currently deliver the Children's Pre-Birth - 19 service across Essex. This means that they are already embedded within the Essex system and have the existing relationships required to make a success of the Vanguard from the start; they are also in a position to continue this programme of works. Embarking on a procurement process would therefore not be feasible in this instance. The partnership with schools within the existing commissioned services is crucial to the Vanguards success; the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service is able to offer this solution to ensure the fit with existing service provision, access to schools, and the offer of a family centric and holistic model. This means that HCRG is best placed to continue to deliver this service. This also enables the ICB to utilise management structures, premises costs and recruitment processes as an 'in kind' element for the service.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003421-2024 |
| Notice type | Award 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 | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 1 Feb 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 29 Dec 2023 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £2,291,940 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS HERTFORDSHIRE AND WEST ESSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD |
| Locality | WELWYN GARDEN CITY |
| Post town | St Albans |
| Postcode | AL8 6JL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH2 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire |
| ITL 3 | TLH26 North and East Hertfordshire |
| Local authority | Welwyn Hatfield |
| Electoral ward | Handside |
| Westminster constituency | Welwyn Hatfield |
| Delivery location | TLH23 Hertfordshire CC |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | HCRG |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 1 Feb 2024 at 16:14 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/003421-2024
- 29 Dec 2023 at 18:28 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/038046-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://hertsandwestessex.icb.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-042a30. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-042a30.json.