Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service NHS County Durham CCG and NHS Tees Valley CCG

The Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service contract will be awarded by the NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group ( The CCGs) using a single tender action process as outlined in Regulation 32, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process for the following reasons:

In considering Reg 32 (b) part (ii) PCR2015 the contracting authority believes that competition is absent for technical reasons.

A Market engagement exercise has been conducted published on Contracts Finder 21 August 2020 and failed to attract more than one potential provider from the market who has expressed interest and has the capacity and capability to deliver such a service as per the specification within the timeframe requested. The only alternative model identified was a collaborative service provision between online service provider coupled with another provider who could supply BAHCP qualified counselling support staff for this service. No respondent to the market engagement exercise offering this potential alternative model was able to confirm ability to mobilise such a service provision for December 2020. On this basis the market is evidencing at this time that no apparent alternative or substitute exists who can provide the full level of service required within the timeframes stipulated. Only one particular operator has expressed interest and is able to meet the technical requirements for this work in providing evidence to the mental health data set (MHDS), having the technical systems set up to mobilise the work and the provision of BAHCP accredited counselling staff to facilitate within the required timeline

In considering Reg 32 (c)PCR2015 the contracting authority believes that in the context of ;

Late funding availability from NHSE driven by Covid pandemic impacts ;

And

Covid 19 pandemic impact requiring additional support mechanisms for teaching staff within the context of mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic

That for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authorities, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.

This contract is the Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service for County Durham and Tees Valley Area.

The description of the service is: Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service

The key aims of the service are

Improve the emotional wellbeing and mental health of teachers by providing an early response to emotional wellbeing and/or emerging mental health needs

Prevent mental health issues escalating and reaching crisis for teachers

Improve access to mental health services for teachers and support through the use of digital services built around the needs and views of service users.

The key objectives of the service are to

-Provide an online counselling and support service 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with counsellors online from 12 noon to 10pm Monday to Friday and 6pm to 10pm at weekends (reduced hours during Christmas Bank Holidays)

-Provide an accessible, safe, secure, moderated website with online community features

-Target teachers with emotional wellbeing and/or emerging mental health problems, many of whom will require low level/targeted/short-term intervention and support

The service would be expected to gather feedback for service users to continuously improve the service, report results of the evaluation to commissioners.

The Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service contract will be awarded by the NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group ( The CCGs) using a single tender action process as outlined in Regulation 32, The Public Contracts Regulations 2015 process for the following reasons:

In considering Reg 32 (b) part (ii) PCR2015 the contracting authority believes that competition is absent for technical reasons.

A Market engagement exercise has been conducted published on Contracts Finder 21 August 2020 and failed to attract more than one potential provider from the market who has expressed interest and has the capacity and capability to deliver such a service as per the specification within the timeframe requested. The only alternative model identified was a collaborative service provision between online service provider coupled with another provider who could supply BAHCP qualified counselling support staff for this service. No respondent to the market engagement exercise offering this potential alternative model was able to confirm ability to mobilise such a service provision for December 2020. On this basis the market is evidencing at this time that no apparent alternative or substitute exists who can provide the full level of service required within the timeframes stipulated. Only one particular operator has expressed interest and is able to meet the technical requirements for this work in providing evidence to the mental health data set (MHDS), having the technical systems set up to mobilise the work and the provision of BAHCP accredited counselling staff to facilitate within the required timeline

In considering Reg 32 (c)PCR2015 the contracting authorities believe that in the context of ;

Late funding availability from NHSE driven by Covid pandemic impacts ;

And

Covid 19 pandemic impact requiring additional support mechanisms for teaching staff within the context of mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic

That for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authorities, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with.

NHS County Durham CCG intends to enter into a contract with Xenzone Limited for and on behalf of NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Tees Valley Clinical Commissioning Group for the delivery of an Online Mental Health and Wellbeing support for School Teaching Staff Service covering the County Durham and Tees Valley CCG Areas on whichever is the later date: 1) upon completion of a 10 day standstill period which will commence on the date after the publication of this Notice, or 2) after midnight on 26 November 2020

(MT Ref:221116)