Speech and Language Therapy

The London Borough of Hillingdon is intending to award a contract for the provision of Speech and Language Therapy Services ending 31 March 2028. As part of this direct award, approval has also been given to establish a joint commissioning arrangement with Hillingdon Probation.

This arrangement will fund and deliver an additional two days per week of Speech and Language Therapy for young adults aged 18-25. This contract is to be been awarded in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023, under Direct Award Process A.

This process applies where the services can only be delivered by an existing provider. In this instance, the specialised therapeutic requirements, established reporting arrangements, and existing operational model mean that no alternative provider could deliver the required service to the necessary standard without incurring significant additional cost.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is the incumbent provider. Due to the specialist nature of the service and CNWL's established infrastructure, there is no viable alternative provider capable of meeting the Council's requirements for service delivery, outcome reporting, clinical standards, and clinical supervision.

The decision to award this contract was made through the appropriate Cabinet Member reporting process, in line with democratic governance procedures and the Council's standing orders. No conflicts of interest were identified during this procurement.