Local Healthwatch Services for East Berkshire

Slough Borough Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Bracknell Forest Council (East Berkshire) are tendering for a provision of a Local Healthwatch Service for East Berkshire. The service will cover all three local authority areas under a partnership arrangement with Slough Borough Council being the lead contracting authority.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to commission a local Healthwatch service (LHW), under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the statutory activities are: to undertake, such as gathering local views and making these known to providers and commissioners, monitoring and scrutinising the quality of provision of local services, and a seat on the local health and wellbeing board. The requirement for local authorities who commission Adult Social Care services to commission a local Healthwatch that is independent of the Local Authority.

This service will be carrying out the statutory duties that a Healthwatch services provides. Local Healthwatch Service (LHW) is the independent consumer champion for health and social care on the local level.

It: • Represents the collective voice of residents, patients, carers and the public (including children and young people) to commissioners, service providers and local politicians• Acts as a focal point for the local community to have a voice in the commissioning and provision of health and social care• Provides opportunities for local people of all ages to influence decisions being made about their services, across the NHS and social care. Slough, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and Bracknell Forest are unitary authorities in Berkshire, South East England, at the heart of the Thames Valley.

These three unitary authorities are located within the Frimley Integrated Care System (ICS). The contract duration will be for three years with an option to extend for one + one year(s) (3+1+1).

It is anticipated that the contract will commence on 1 January 2026. A PIN was placed on 21 February 2024 reference: Notice identifier: 2025/S 000-006548