Purpose

This
report seeks the authority to start a tender process to procure a
provider of suicide bereavement postvention services for Cheshire
& Merseyside.
 

Decision

The Director of Public
Health has decided to approve the initiation of a legally compliant
procurement process for the commission of Suicide Bereavement
Postvention service using the Competitive Process under the Health
Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023 within
the estimated budget envelop of £540,000.
 

Reasons for the decision

The Council’s
procurement department have advised that the Suicide bereavement
postvention services (“the Services”) can be procured
by using the competitive process under the Healthcare Services
(Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
 
The ‘Support
After Sicide Partnership’ provides guidance on the areas that
should be covered by the Services provide being: governance,
policies, staffing, collaboration / partnership work, awareness,
and access, delivering a responsive and high-quality service,
monitoring measurement and evaluation. This has informed the
Council’s specification for the Services, together with the
Council’s experience of managing the existing contract for
similar services which expires March 2026.
 
It is important to
note that in Cheshire & Merseyside, no beneficiaries of the
services under the existing contract services have gone on to take
their own life. Research indicates that those bereaved and impacted
by suicide are at an increased risk of dying by suicide themselves.
This highlights the importance of these services across the
region.
 
The
Wirral Council Plan Priorities 2023-27, and specifically the
following aspects,
· 
To deliver high quality efficient universal services
to all residents,
· 
To prioritise those with the greatest
needs,
· 
To work across communities, with communities,
voluntary and faith organisations, and partners to improve
residents’ life chances,
align
with the requirements of the commissioning of these services by the
Council on behalf of the Chesire & Merseyside region, as in
each area the new service will ensure local connections with
partners, the community and faith organisations for the benefit of
beneficiaries of the suicide bereavement postvention service. The
partners will also promote the suicide bereavement postvention
services in local places thus supporting those local places when a
suspected suicide(s) occur by ensuring professionals such as GPs,
Police and other professional groups are aware of these services
and understand how to make a referral when needed. The Service will
contribute to improving residents’ life chances for those who
have experienced or been impacted by a bereavement through a
suspected suicide.
 

Alternative options considered

Doing nothing and
letting the current contract expire is not a realistic
option  as the NHS Long Term Plan states
– “we will put in place suicide bereavement support
forfamilies and staff working in mental health crisis services in
every area of the country” There is funding for suicide
bereavement services allocated nationally to ICBs through Mental
Health programmes, for suicide bereavement postvention services,
therefore this option was disregarded.
 
The Council undertook
a soft market test to seek market feedback on the provision of
these Services, which tested interest in service delivery and
feedback on the delivery model. With this information the Council
determined that an open market tender utilising the NHS Provider
Services Regime would be the most appropriate route to market
(therefore disregarding other routes within the NHS Provider
Services Regime that are available).