---
title: "Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services"
ocid: "ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078.json"
source: "Public Contracts Scotland"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "NHS HIGHLAND"
published: "2025-08-05"
---

# Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services

Buyer: NHS HIGHLAND  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078.json)

## Summary

NHS Highland, located in Inverness, UKM6, is overseeing the procurement process titled "Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services". This procurement falls under the services category and is specifically tailored for the NHS Highland Area. The procurement method adopted is a limited procedure, which does not require prior publication of a call for competition. The contract was awarded on 1st August 2023 and is valid until 30th November 2025. Award updates indicate that The Guardian Service Ltd., which has collaborated with NHS Highland since 2020, is the selected supplier. The tender aims to continue providing an independent channel for raising colleague concerns, aligned with National Whistleblowing standards initiated in 2020. This extension accommodates NHS Highland’s transition of some services in-house during the contract period, offering a flexible option to extend by another 12 months if needed.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses specialized in staff liaison and whistleblowing services to engage with a key player in the healthcare industry, NHS Highland. The Guardian Service Ltd. has established its expertise in this niche service, creating a benchmark for similar enterprises looking to expand their footprint or forge partnerships within the healthcare sector. SMEs or larger organisations with technical solutions tailored to NHS operational standards may find opportunities for collaboration or competitive insights by analysing the specific requirements and unique technical positioning of The Guardian Service Ltd. The procurement method underscores the critical demand for specialised services not widely available, stimulating innovation and encouraging businesses to cultivate similar competencies for future engagements.

## Notice

NHS Highland requires the provision of Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom to Speak up Services for NHS staff.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

NHS Highland have been providing a Guardian / Speak up service since 2020, as recommended in the Sturrock review, this is to provide an independent channel for colleague concerns to be raised where other channels have not worked or cannot be used. This service was aligned to include the National Whistleblowing standards in NHS Highland also in 2020. The market was reviewed and the only established provider of this service that we have identified with appropriate and relevant NHS specific experience is The Guardian Service. The Guardian Service has been working with NHS Highland for the past three years and NHS Highland would like to continue to provide this service to its employees for a further 12 months with the option to extend for up to another 12 months.

### Procurement Information

This procurement is unique in that the provider is offering a technical solution, based on it's specific positioning and experience, the likes of which is not available elsewhere in exactly the form that we desire to employ.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Public Contracts Scotland |
| Latest notice | https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536262 |
| Notice type | OJEU - F20 - Modification 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, SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 5 Aug 2025 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 14 Jun 2023 |
| Contract period | 1 Aug 2023 - 30 Nov 2025 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £691,980 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | NHS HIGHLAND |
| Locality | INVERNESS |
| Post town | Inverness |
| Postcode | IV2 3BW |
| Country | Scotland |
| ITL 1 | TLM Scotland |
| ITL 2 | TLM2 Highlands and Islands |
| ITL 3 | TLM20 Highlands and Islands |
| Local authority | Highland |
| Electoral ward | Inverness South |
| Westminster constituency | Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire |
| Delivery location | TLM6 Highlands and Islands |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | THE GUARDIAN SERVICE |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 79 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security

### Codes

- 79633000 - Staff development services

## Release History

- 5 Aug 2025 at 00:00 - AwardUpdate - OJEU - F20 - Modification Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536262
- 2 Aug 2023 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F3 - Contract Award Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG485022
- 19 Jun 2023 at 00:00 - Award - OJEU - F15 - Voluntary Ex Ante Transparency Notice - https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN481446

## Documents

- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JUN481446
  Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services - NHS Highland requires the provision of Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom to Speak up Services for NHS staff.
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG485022
  Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services - NHS Highland requires the provision of Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom to Speak up Services for NHS staff.
- https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=AUG536262
  Confidential Staff Liaison and Freedom To Speak Up Services

## Notice URLs

- http://
- http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk
- https://api.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/v1/Notice?id=ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078

## 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-r6ebe6-0000735078. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-r6ebe6-0000735078.json.