SEL ICB (Bexley) Community Social Prescribing Service

NHS South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) is seeking to commission a borough-wide Community Social Prescribing Service for the London Borough of Bexley. The service forms part of Bexley's prevention, early intervention and integrated neighbourhood approach and will work across the Clocktower, Frognal and North Bexley Local Care Network localities.

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intended approach notice. The awarding of this contract is subject to the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023 do not apply to this award.

The contract has an annual value of £921,608 and an anticipated term of three and a half years, with an option to extend for up to a further two years (taking the maximum possible value to £5,068,844). The procurement is not divided into lots and is intended to be awarded through the Provider Selection Regime using the Most Suitable Provider Process.

The ICB will be guided by the five key criteria outlined in the NHS Provider Selection Regime for evaluation of submissions in this process to select a suitable provider.

These criteria are:

1. quality and innovation

2. value

3. integration, collaboration and service sustainability

4. improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice

5. social value

The service will support adults aged 18 and over and provide a Children and Young People's offer for young people of secondary school age up to 18 years. It will receive referrals from a wide range of sources, including primary care, social care, statutory agencies, community and voluntary organisations, with referrals triaged by the provider.

Through person-centred conversations, the service will identify residents' needs, strengths and goals and connect them to appropriate community, voluntary and statutory support. This may include advice services, wellbeing activities, peer support, practical help, community groups, volunteering opportunities, digital inclusion support and other prevention and early intervention services. The service will provide tailored navigation and short-term support that builds confidence and resilience, supports self-care and helps residents access meaningful non-clinical support closer to home.

Housing need is recognised as a significant wider determinant of health, the service will therefore include defined housing advocacy capacity focused on early identification, practical navigation, advocacy and connection to appropriate housing advice and support where appropriate. This element is not intended to replace statutory housing services or resolve wider structural housing pressures. It will help residents understand and navigate relevant routes, strengthen links between social prescribing, housing, health, care and voluntary sector partners, and ensure barriers are identified and escalated through appropriate neighbourhood and system pathways.

The Children and Young People's element will include borough-wide counselling provision, delivered within appropriate safeguarding, consent, confidentiality and information governance arrangements. Support will be person-centred and responsive to the needs of young people, with effective referral, escalation and onward-support pathways.

The provider will work collaboratively with Integrated Neighbourhood Teams, Primary Care Networks, Local Care Networks, GP practices, local authority services, community organisations and the wider voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. The service will contribute intelligence on local need, service gaps, housing-related pressures and community capacity to support joined-up neighbourhood planning and continuous service development.