Advocacy Services - An Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) - AWARD

ADULT SERVICES TENDER ITT038ICAS FOR THE PROVISION OF: AN INDEPENDENT COMPLAINTS ADVOCACY (ICAS) SERVICE (SANDWELL AND WALSALL) Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council acting as lead Authority seeks to procure on behalf of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council an experienced organisation with appropriate expertise to deliver an Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS), to comply with the requirement in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Sandwell M.B.C will lead on the procurement and contract management of the Service on behalf of the two local authorities.

The purpose of this service is to provide free, independent; client centred professional support to Service Users wishing to pursue a formal complaint against the NHS. The Service will ensure that independent advocacy skills are used to provide practical support and direction to Service Users in Sandwell or Walsall, in order to assist them in finding a resolution to their complaint about Health Services.

The Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) will be client-centred, providing a flexible service that empowers a person who wishes to resolve a complaint in relation to the provision of NHS services or the exercise of functions of certain NHS bodies. The Contract will be for a period of four years, and will commence on 1 April 2016.

Suitably qualified and experienced persons and organisations are invited to express an interest in tendering for the above service. The Council intends to use an evaluation model based on price and quality.

The criteria, on which tenders will be evaluated, inclusive of weighting attached to each, will be included within the invitation to tender document. The contracts mainly reflect services currently being provided by existing organisations, and therefore the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 may apply to this contract. David Stevens