Integrated Sexual Health Services

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is inviting expressions of interest from a single (or single consortium)Provider for an Integrated Sexual Health (ISH) Service with open access provision. The service will be procured under a single contract to be delivered by a lead provider.

The lead provider willbe required to work in partnership with or sub contract to other organisations with relevant expertise to deliverservices across the four localities in Southend-on-Sea. The ISH Service will provide open access, cost-effective, high quality, confidential provision for contraceptionand reproductive health services; and, prevention, testing, diagnosis, treatment and management of sexuallytransmitted infections services according to evidence-based protocols.

The provider will deliver and develop theISH service to meet the sexual health and wellbeing needs of the population of Southend-on-Sea. The focus of the service will be to encourage people to achieve and maintain positive health and wellbeingthrough adopting safe and healthy choices with regards to their sexual health.

It is therefore essential that thereis a universal offer of prevention that supports behavioural changes, early identification of risky sexual behaviourand timely referrals to services. The service shall provide learning and training opportunities as well as healthpromotion messages at all levels of service provision.

The contract will commence on the 1st April and will run for 3 years, until 31.3.2022. There will be an option toextend for an additional 2 years, or any part thereof. .Southend-on-Sea Borough Council welcomes submissionsfrom all organisational types, including the Third Sector. It is estimated that the contract value will be in theregion of 4 000 000 GBP (for the 3 year term) and due to the extent of this contract, the authority would welcome consortia bids.