Substance Misuse Service to Kent Prisons

Project- Open early engagement - This means that a procurement idea is currently active; it is in the early stage of development and judging interest from potential providers. NHS England Health and Justice South (South East) in conjunction with Kent County Council is seeking a suitably qualified service provider (s) to establish and run an integrated prison based substance misuse service for 9 prisons located in Kent, England. The contract will commence on 2nd October 2017 and has an annual value of £4.3 million. The probable contract duration will be 5 years with the possibility of a 2 year extension option at the discretion of the Commissioner.

This service will provide specialist support for all those assessed as requiring interventions to address drug or alcohol misuse within the 9 Kent prisons. It is commissioned as part of the overall Offender Health pathway within the prison and as such the model will ensure an integrated, recovery orientated treatment system both within the prison and referral into the community or another custodial setting. The service will focus on delivering a seamless, integrated structured clinical and psychosocial substance misuse interventions/services in prison and through the gate into the community to ensure effective continuity of care. Close joint working with other services is imperative to the success of the delivery in this service. Further detail of the service specification requirements will be made available in future invitation to tender documents.

The substance misuse service is to be made available to drug and/or alcohol misusers including poly-drug misusers and include dual diagnosis clients. The successful provider must meet the unique needs of the establishment(s) and take into account the needs of the population within those establishment(s), including short term prisoners, remand prisoners and possibly young adults.

An early engagement event will be held on Monday 17th October 2016 in the Medway area of Kent. If you are interested in finding out further information regarding this procurement and would like to attend this event, please hold this date, venue and time to be updated nearer the date. The commissioner will advise further details on the prisons involved along with the service requirements and would welcome a discussion with the market place on your views.

If you wish to express an interest in taking part in a future procurement exercise to identity a provider of substance misuse to Kent Prisons, and would like to attend the early engagement event on 17th October 2016, please register by submitting a Provider Sounding Questionnaire by 12 noon on Wednesday 12th October 2016 to Louisesmith7@nhs.net.