--- title: "NHS South Yorkshire ICB British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapies" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-068927" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-068927" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068927.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068927.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Award" buyer: "NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD" published: "2026-04-23" --- # NHS South Yorkshire ICB British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapies Buyer: NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD Current stage: Award OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-068927 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-068927) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068927.json) ## Summary NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board is overseeing a procurement process for British Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapies, aimed at delivering high-quality mental health services to Deaf individuals in South Yorkshire. The procurement is classified under the services category with a focus on guidance and counselling services. The industry category is health care, with a special emphasis on psychological therapies. The procurement stage is currently at award, with the intention to formally award the contract to SignHealth under the Health Care Services Provider Selection Regime. The service will cover Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield, beginning from the date of award for a duration of two years. Interested parties have until 6th May 2026 to make representations to the decision makers. This tender represents a significant opportunity for businesses fluent in BSL or with expertise in mental health services for Deaf communities. It is particularly suited for organisations specialising in culturally and linguistically appropriate care, as the service requires direct BSL delivery without reliance on interpreters. Businesses with established infrastructure and workforce readiness, like SignHealth, which is already chosen based on quality, value, integration, collaboration, sustainability, and social value, might find this a fruitful avenue for growth. The service promises to advance mental health outcomes through innovative delivery models and increased access, appealing to SMEs interested in expanding their services within the health industry. Additionally, the tender underlines a commitment to reducing health inequalities, facilitating choice, and fostering collaboration, which are essential elements for businesses looking to contribute positively to community health services. ## Notice 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. The intention is to award a contract following the Most Suitable Provider Process. Service aims and desired outcomes of the Sign Language (BSL) Talking Therapies: * Deliver Talking Therapies that meet NICE guidance, provided directly in British Sign Language (BSL) for Deaf service users in South Yorkshire. * Increase access to psychological therapies for Deaf BSL users, reducing barriers and improving equity across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield. * Support improved mental health outcomes, including recovery, reliable improvement, and patient satisfaction, for Deaf people in the local area. * Build and sustain a skilled workforce fluent in BSL or dedicated mental health BSL Interpreters to deliver high-quality, culturally appropriate care. * Promote early intervention and prevention through accessible psychoeducation and self-help resources in BSL. * Involve service users and carers in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the service, ensuring care is person-centred and responsive to local needs. * Work in partnership with local health, social care, and voluntary sector organisations to support holistic wellbeing and effective care pathways. ### Lot Information Lot 1 This notice is an intention to award a contract under the most suitable provider process. This is a new service to be provided by a new provider.The contract will run for two years from the date of the award of the contract. In arriving at the decision NHS South Yorkshire ICB have used the following criteria: Key criteria 1. Quality and innovation- Weighting 25% SY ICB is satisfied that SignHealth meets the quality and innovation criterion to a sufficient standard for this specialist BSL Talking Therapies service. SignHealth has delivered a comparable national NHS England BSL Talking Therapies service and reports recovery rates rising year on year (55.9%, 59.3%, 61.9%) with reliable improvement remaining high (78.3%, 78.4%, 77.4%), and local South Yorkshire outcomes reported as 61.5% recovery and 80% reliable improvement. The proposed model aligns to the NHS Talking Therapies Manual and NICE recommended interventions through a stepped-care approach, with Step 2 and Step 3 interventions delivered directly in BSL by appropriately trained and accredited clinicians, avoiding reliance on interpreters and supporting clinical safety and effectiveness. Quality assurance is supported through BSL-delivered clinical supervision, governance oversight by a highly specialist clinical psychologist, and routine outcomes monitoring using BSL-adapted PHQ-9, GAD-7 and WSAS, alongside TT dataset submissions via MHSDS to NHS England. Innovation is evidenced through the provider's bespoke BSL computerised CBT content delivered via the SilverCloud platform as part of a blended offer. Key criteria 2. Value - Weighting 20% SY ICB is satisfied that SignHealth offers good value for this low-volume, highly specialist clinical service, based on the balance of costs, overall benefits and the financial implications of the proposed arrangement. The staged quarterly payments linked to monthly MHSDS submissions, quarterly contract management, and delivery of access and outcome expectations, including a minimum of 20 people accessing by the end of Year 1 and 40 people by the end of Year 2. SignHealth's delivery model provides direct BSL assessment and therapy without reliance on interpreters, which supports efficient use of clinical time and reduces avoidable duplication and additional travel associated with interpreter-supported appointments. The provider also confirms mobilisation using established workforce, systems and infrastructure and routine outcomes monitoring, which reduces set-up costs and supports transparent assurance of benefit for spend. Key criteria 3. Integration, collaboration and service sustainability - Weighting 20% SignHealth's model supports integration through multiple referral routes, including self-referral, GP referral, referrals from local NHS Talking Therapies services, and referrals from other health, social care and voluntary sector professionals, supported by accessible contact channels. The provider provides prompt triage and BSL-delivered assessment, with clear communication where people are not suitable and collaborative onward referral to other services where additional needs are identified. SignHealth also commits to working with local health, social care and voluntary sector organisations to support effective care pathways, alongside ongoing engagement with BSL users and stakeholders to shape delivery. SignHealth states the service can commence immediately and mobilisation does not rely on new systems or significant recruitment because core workforce, governance and digital infrastructure are already established, with monthly dataset submissions and quarterly contract management arrangements in place from day one. Key criteria 4. Improving Access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choiceWeighting 25% SignHealth sets out a BSL-first access model, with Deaf-friendly referral information and online referral forms, and accessible contact routes including online, email, text-based communication and video relay services. The provider describes delivery directly in BSL, Deaf-to-Deaf, with no third-party interpreters, which addresses a core barrier in standard provision and supports culturally and linguistically appropriate care. SignHealth also describes practical actions to support engagement and reduce drop-out, including waiting-list support resources, a monthly text message to confirm the person remains on the waiting list, and an accessible crisis list with video-call and text-based options. Choice is supported through a blended offer delivered in line with clinical need and preference, including remote and face-to-face options where clinically appropriate, and provision of BSL self-help and psychoeducation materials while waiting. The provider also frames the model as supporting statutory accessibility duties, referencing the Equality Act 2010, the Accessible Information Standard, and the British Sign Language Act 2022. Key criteria 5. Social Value - Weighting 10% Deaf BSL users face barriers in mainstream provision and need care delivered in their first or preferred language. SignHealth describes a BSL-first model where assessment and treatment are delivered directly in BSL by BSL-fluent clinicians, without reliance on interpreters, supporting accessible and culturally safe care. The provider proposes multiple referral routes, including self-referral, GP and local NHS Talking Therapies referrals, and access via BSL-accessible channels such as online forms, email, text-based communication and video relay, supporting patient choice in how people enter the service. SignHealth also sets out practical reasonable adjustments that support engagement and reduce inequalities, including accessible service materials in BSL or Deaf-friendly English, BSL-adapted outcome measures, waiting-list support, and crisis and signposting information in BSL. The contract framework also expects equitable access across places with monitoring through routine data submissions, which aligns with the provider's routine outcomes and dataset reporting approach. The BSL-first delivery model reduces avoidable travel by removing the need for interpreter attendance alongside appointments, supporting the fighting climate change theme, and it sustains specialist Deaf employment and progression through a deaf-led workforce, supporting equal opportunity and wider social value. ### 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 standstill period begins on the day after the publication of this notice. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by 6th May 2026. 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/036878-2026 | | 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 | SME | | All stages | Award | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 23 Apr 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | Not specified | | Award date | 21 Apr 2026 | | Contract period | Not specified | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | £90,000 | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Complete | | Lots status | Cancelled | | Awards status | Active | | Contracts status | Active | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | NHS SOUTH YORKSHIRE INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | | Locality | SHEFFIELD | | Post town | Sheffield | | Postcode | S1 3FG | | Country | England | | ITL 1 | TLE Yorkshire and The Humber | | ITL 2 | TLE3 South Yorkshire | | ITL 3 | TLE32 Sheffield | | Local authority | Sheffield | | Electoral ward | City | | Westminster constituency | Sheffield Central | | Delivery location | TLE3 South Yorkshire | ## Supplier | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Number of suppliers | 1 | | Supplier names | SIGNHEALTH | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 85 - Health and social work services ### Codes - 85312300 - Guidance and counselling services ## Release History - 23 Apr 2026 at 08:05 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/036878-2026 ## Notice URLs - https://www.england.nhs.uk - https://www.southyorkshire.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-068927. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-068927.json.