Community and Psychological Support (CAPS) for Cardiff East Cluster

The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, hosted by Velindre NHS Trust, are acting on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board who are seeking to award a contract for Community and Psychological Support (CAPS) for Cardiff East Cluster. This service aims to deliver an innovative, holistic model of care that integrates social prescribing with guided psychological self-help for individuals registered with one of the four GP practices in the East Cardiff Cluster.

The CAPS initiative will support vulnerable and at-risk groups experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues through an 8-session intervention pathway, combining assessment, tailored self-help strategies, and relapse prevention. The service will be delivered by two full-time practitioners based in GP practices, working collaboratively with community partners to strengthen local networks and improve mental wellbeing.

The provider will also be expected to support digital referral systems, attend cluster meetings, and embed principles of person-centred care, equality, and sustainability throughout service delivery. The NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, hosted by Velindre NHS Trust, are acting on behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Local Health Board who are seeking to award a contract for the delivery of Community and Psychological Support (CAPS) within the Cardiff East Cluster.

This procurement is for a third sector provider to deliver a holistic, community-based support service that integrates social prescribing with guided psychological self-help. The CAPS model will consist of an eight-session intervention pathway, beginning with an initial assessment, followed by sessions focused on social prescribing, guided self-help strategies, and concluding with relapse prevention.

The service will be delivered by two full-time practitioners, based within GP practices, who will work collaboratively with patients and community partners to address mild to moderate mental health needs and improve overall wellbeing. The provider will be expected to: -Deliver person-centred care aligned with the “What Matters” principle. -Utilise evidence-based tools such as those from the Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI). -Apply Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs) and Patient Reported Experience/Outcome Measures (PREMs/PROMS). -Support the development and use of the Elemental software platform for seamless referrals. -Attend Cluster and GMS Collaborative meetings to maintain engagement with primary care professionals. -Build strong relationships with voluntary and statutory services within the Cluster. -Ensure service accessibility in both Welsh and English, and accommodate diverse communication needs including BSL and interpreter services. -Embed principles from key Welsh legislation including the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010, and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014. The contract value is capped at 80,000GBP per annum which includes practitioner salaries and administrative support.