Sussex Commissioners are commencing market engagement for a Mental Health Supported Accommodation Service in West Sussex.

The aim of the service is to provide an accommodation-based service in the community that provides short term stays for people as an alternative to hospital care.

Service Users may be at risk of admission or be being discharged from hospital.

The service will provide a supportive environment to prevent an escalation of mental health Crisis including self-harm, suicidal ideation or distress, and subsequent hospital admissions or readmission, through the provision of 24-hour mental health support and short-term accommodation.

It is anticipated that the service would be offered for tender under a standard NHS contract for a period of 3yrs commencing on the 1st April 2023 with option to extend for a maximum of a further 2yrs.

The purpose of this RFI is to gauge market interest and feedback for the provision of the service and provide the CCGs with valuable information to help update and improve the proposed service specification.

If you would like to discuss any aspects of the requirements please send a portal message suggesting a date/time for a telephone conversation.

A service specification and RFI form are available.

To access these and return your completed RFI form please do so via the etendering portal: https://www.in-tendhost.co.uk/soepscommissioning/aspx/Home The deadline for responses is 4pm on Tues 31st May.

The overarching aims of the Service will be to: • Provide early and intensive support to prevent further deterioration for those experiencing a mental health crisis • Support people to regain stability in a safe and comfortable environment • Create a co-produced, personalised plan for each person using the service involving relevant community services and resources that mitigates the immediate circumstances that led to a mental health crisis and/or hospital admission • Increase the capacity and diversity of services in the local crisis and hospital discharge pathways • Increase the range of community-based crisis alternatives to traditional crisis teams, A&E, and in-patient care, within the Integrated crisis pathway • Reduce local inequality in access to crisis and community mental health care • Form part of a pathway that most efficiently meets people's needs in the community, with people only utilising hospital care when absolutely necessary and for as little time as is possible • Facilitate a Discharge to Assess approach for Service Users who are medically fit to leave hospital with ongoing social care and/or housing assessment being completed in the Service as opposed to the hospital • Enable health, social care, and housing assessments to take place within an appropriate community environment as opposed to inpatient care • Ensure that Service Users only use psychiatric hospitals when there is an established clinical treatment need that can only be met within an inpatient environment