Purpose

This report sets out a proposed approach to the
commissioning of the Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention
Training service when the current contract ends on 31st
March 2024.  

 

Camden’s Health and Wellbeing department
(formerly Public Health), in partnership with Integrated
Commissioning, currently commissions Mental Health Awareness and
Suicide Prevention Training in Camden and Islington. Islington
Council has made the decision to discontinue funding when the
contract ends, Camden will be reprocuring
independently.

 

This report sets out a proposed approach to the
commissioning of a set of high quality, evidence based mental
health and suicide prevention courses in Camden. The majority of
these will be Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First
Aid, but the courses will also cover half day courses on mental
health in the workplace for managers, and managing suicidal
conversations, as well as shorter, webinar-style
bitesize sessions on various topics relating to mental
health. The service
will: 

·      
Deliver effective, evidence-based training that
improves mental health awareness and skills to staff and local
communities. 

·      
Improve knowledge and confidence in discussing mental
health issues and increase willingness to engage with people
experiencing mental health
problems. 

·      
Reduce stigma associated with mental ill-health by
improving knowledge and understanding of mental health and
promoting
discussion. 

·      
Enable attendees to have the confidence to engage in
conversations about suicidal feelings and signpost
effectively. 

·      
Support people to speak to someone in mental distress
in a compassionate manner and empower them to signpost to correct
services or
support. 

·      
Address the very real concerns voiced by mental health
service users of negative and biased treatment, through the
inclusion of people with lived experience of mental health problems
in the delivery of the service

The proposed new contract will be for five (5) years at
a total value of £80,000 per annum, £400,000 across the
total contract
duration. 

 
This report is being presented to the Director of
Health and Wellbeing in line with Contract Standing
Orders.
 
 

Content

THAT
the Director of Health and Wellbeing agrees the procurement
strategy, which includes a price/quality split of 40/60 and
contract term of five years for the total estimated value of
£400,000 as set out in this report.