---
title: "Keyworking Function"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB"
published: "2024-09-19"
---

# Keyworking Function

Buyer: NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7

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## Summary

NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB has awarded a contract under the Provider Selection Regime (PSR) for the Keyworking Function, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. The contract aims to support children and young people with complex needs by offering them a designated Keyworker. This procurement process, completed through the Most Suitable Provider Process, has led to the contract being awarded to Suffolk County Council. The initial contract term is five years beginning 1st October 2024, with a potential extension for up to two additional years, totaling a maximum of 84 months. The estimated value of the contract, excluding VAT, is £2,590,000, encompassing services within the Ipswich and East Suffolk and West Suffolk localities, classified under the health services category.

This tender offers significant growth opportunities for businesses involved in providing health services, especially those specialising in mental health support, learning disabilities, and autism care. Firms with expertise in delivering coordinated care and community-based support can benefit by leveraging existing frameworks and increasing their service capacities within integrated care systems. Businesses that excel in personalised care, stakeholder engagement, and working collaboratively with public health bodies, like NHS trusts, would be well-suited to compete for similar contracts in this expanding sector.

## Notice

The Keyworking Function (KWF) has been developed as a response to the NHS England & NHS Improvement Long Term Plan (LTP) commitment that by 2023/24, children and young people with a learning disability, autism, or both, with the most complex needs will have a designated Keyworker: implementing the recommendations made by Dame Christine Lenehan. These are our children: a review by Dame Christine Lenehan. Initially, keyworker support has been provided to children and young people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, to avoid unnecessary admission or overly lengthy stays in mental health or specialist learning disability settings, and to keep them and their families safe and well in their community. Every ICS now has an operational, or soon to be operational, keyworking service, funded by new money from the NHS Long Term Plan delivered through each of the seven NHS England regions. Some areas have already extended this offer to young people up to the age of 25. From 2023/24, it is expected that all ICSs will offer their keyworking services to young people up to the age of 25. In addition, by 2024, NHS England are due to deliver the "Keyworker Code of Practice".

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, Paragraph 10 - The Most Suitable Provider Process has been used to procure this service. This is a notice to inform the market of the intention to award a contract for Keyworker Function for Ipswich and East Suffolk and West Suffolk localities to Suffolk County Council. This is a new contract for an existing service to be delivered by an existing provider of this service. Keyworkers support children and young people; identified via the Suffolk DSR, with the most complex needs and their families and carers to make sure families are fully involved in their plans, feel listened to and informed, plans are personalised, and they have the support they need at the right time, in a co-ordinated way. By March 2024 children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both aged 0-25 years with the most complex needs will have a designated keyworker. Keyworkers support children, young people and their families to avoid admission to a mental health hospital wherever possible. Where admission to hospital cannot be avoided, the keyworker should remain as a core member of the professional network throughout the person's period of admission and be included in CETRs and support through to discharge. The contract will be awarded with an initial contract term of 5 years (60 months) and a potential extension period of up to 2 years (24 months), maximum term of 84 months (the "Proposed Contract"). The total aggregated value of contract will be PS2,590,000 which is an annual value of PS370,000 (the "Proposed Contract"). The contract value will be subject to annual inflation/deflation at national NHS rates as prescribed in NHS Payment Scheme guidance. Additional information: This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intended approach notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award.

Options: The contract will be awarded with an initial contract term of 5 years (60 months) and a potential extension period of up to 2 years (24 months), maximum term of 84 months (the "Proposed Contract").

### Procurement Information

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 do not apply to this award. The publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight 12th September 2024. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029986-2024 |
| 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 | 19 Sep 2024 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 18 Aug 2024 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £2,590,000 |

## Status

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

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS SUFFOLK AND NORTH EAST ESSEX ICB |
| Locality | COLCHESTER |
| Post town | Colchester |
| Postcode | CO4 9QR |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLH East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLH3 Essex |
| ITL 3 | TLH34 Essex Haven Gateway |
| Local authority | Colchester |
| Electoral ward | Highwoods |
| Westminster constituency | Colchester |
| Delivery location | TLH14 Suffolk CC |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 85 - Health and social work services

### Codes

- 85100000 - Health services

## Release History

- 19 Sep 2024 at 10:42 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/029986-2024
- 10 Sep 2024 at 12:54 - TenderUpdate - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028956-2024
- 6 Sep 2024 at 15:33 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/028665-2024

## Notice URLs

- https://in-tendhost.co.uk/snee-icb/aspx/Home
- https://suffolkandnortheastessex.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-0498e7. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-0498e7.json.