NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group & Hull City Council - Social Prescribing Service (including generalist welfare advice)

NHS Hull CCG and Hull City Council are holding a Market Engagement Event for organisations with an interest in a newly developed Social Prescribing service.

Social prescribing is a way of linking people, often those presenting in primary care, with sources of non-medical support in the community, usually provided by voluntary and community sector organisations.

It is anticipated that a formal procurement will begin in October 2016 with the new service commencing between April and June 2017.

The Social Prescribing service will aim to maximise service users’ overall quality of life by supporting, signposting and connecting them with community groups and activity provision in their local area as well as providing a portfolio of general welfare advice.

A draft service specification is attached.

The purpose of the Market Engagement Event is to raise market awareness of the future procurement, to give an overview of our vision for the new Social Prescribing service and to seek feedback on the proposed service model and draft service specification.

The commissioners intend to contract with a single lead provider for the entirety of the Social Prescribing service.

Whilst the successful provider may sub-contract various elements of the service specification to other provider organisations, the commissioners will hold the lead provider to account for all contracted activity.

Organisations considering themselves as potential lead providers will have the opportunity to meet commissioners in a dedicated 1:1 session during the market engagement event to discuss their experiences of delivering similar services.