All Age Support Service for People Bereaved and Affected by Suicide Across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight

Description

Portsmouth City Council ('the council') is inviting tenders from suitably qualified suppliers to provide an all-age support service for people bereaved by suicide across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The service will provide support to those bereaved or affected by suicide who are resident across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, with the overarching aim to support those who are experiencing high levels of distress and grief by supporting them to manage the impact of their bereavement and reduce the risk factors associated with this event. There are 3 key elements to the service: • Single Point of Access: provision of support to those bereaved or affected by suicide or suspected suicide from the point of the death. Tiered levels of support will be available, according to the need of the recipient, including supporting settings or communities, when needed. • Information Provision, Awareness Raising and Partnership Working: ensuring public awareness of the service, scope and eligibility, as well as strong partnerships developed across public and voluntary sector agencies in the service geography. • Training: Provision of training to upskill existing services including statutory and voluntary organisations. The council is targeting to have awarded the contract by 7th December 2024 to allow for contract commencement on 1st March 2025. The contract will have an initial term of 3 years with the potential to extend for a further 2 years, to a maximum total term of 5 years, subject to the performance of the contractor, the service requirements, and funding availability at the time. The estimated annual value of the contract is £216,899. This amount is currently expected to remain static over the 5-year maximum term of contract, inclusive of extensions. The estimated total value of the contract is £1,084,495. The procurement process will be undertaken in line with the following programme: - Issue FTS Contract Notice - 6 September 2024 - Issue Invitation to Tender (ITT) - 6 September 2024 - Tender Return Deadline - 18 October 2024 midday - Award decision notified to tenderers - 26 November 2024 - Standstill period - 27 November - 6 December 2024 - Contract Award - 7 December 2024 - Contract Commencement - 1 March 2025 Application is via completed tender submission by the deadline stated above via the Council's e-sourcing system InTend which will be used to administrate the procurement process, the system can be accessed free of charge via the web link below: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/portsmouthcc/aspx/home Lot 1: The Service will provide support to those bereaved or affected by suicide who are resident across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, with the overarching aim to support those who are experiencing high levels of distress and grief by supporting them to manage the impact of their bereavement and reduce the risk factors associated with this event. The geographical footprint of the service will mirror that of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System (ICS) and the local Authority areas of Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, The Isle of Wight Council and Portsmouth City Council. Some flexibility will be essential here, but it is expected that support to residents beyond the defined geographical area will be minimal (no more than 5% of total cohort) and will be subject to ongoing monitoring by Commissioners. The suicide bereavement support service in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton is deeply integrated into the existing health and public safety infrastructure. A formal referral pathway will be established in collaboration with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, the local Coroner services, and Public Health teams. The service will be integrated with the Real Time Surveillance (RTS) system to ensure that the Contractor is notified immediately of any suspected suicides. This integration allows for swift and proactive outreach to the bereaved, offering support when it is most needed. The duration of support is expected to be according to the needs of the individual, which may be beyond the inquest, as long as the individual being supported remains actively engaged with the service. The support offer should be tiered according to the needs of the person/people being supported and informed by the nature of the relationship with the deceased. The service offer should be flexible and inclusive to ensure that it is able to meet the needs of individuals from all ethnicities including (but limited to) Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities, individuals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent individuals, among others. The service shall have a "front-door" (phone line, email, and web presence) that is specific to the local area, where referrals, referral enquiries and service comms / promotional activities are monitored, managed and delivered locally. A local in-person presence across the geography of service delivery is expected to develop strong partnerships with the breadth of public and voluntary sector agencies, facilitate face to face initial meetings with those who engage with the service and groups and any remembrance events. The Contractor will work in a peripatetic way in conjunction with other voluntary and statutory partners. The service must have a flexible and inclusive approach to work in locations and using channels which enable reach to and engagement with local diverse communities.