Issue details
York Mental Health Hub Commissioning Arrangements: Options Paper
Purpose of Report: The Connecting our City Project is a multi-agency project aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing in York. The Project team are hosted by City of York Council (CYC) and the Project has been largely funded through NHS Community Mental Health Transformation (CMHT) Funding. City of York Council currently hold York’s allocation of CMHT moneys and commission on behalf of the partnership.
Due to the success of the mental health hub developments, additional NHS funding has been secured for up to 2 further hubs in the city.
A decision is required on how to commission the current hub provision post April 2025 when most of the current agreements end and the Voluntary sector provision for the remaining two hubs. This decision is required to enable us to have staff recruited and in post for the opening of hub 2 (24/7) currently estimated to be April 2025.
The Executive will be asked to: Approve Option 3, namely the issuing of 2-year term grant agreements by CYC to the existing voluntary sector providers, without a competitive process, and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director - Adults and Integration, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Director of Governance, to take such steps as are necessary to determine the provisions of, award and enter into the resulting grant funding agreements.
Reason: This allows for a flexible interim arrangement in compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022, the Financial Regulations under Appendix 10a of CYC’s Constitution and the Contract Procedure Rules under Appendix 11 of CYC’s Constitution. This option can be delivered within the required timeframes. The two-year agreements will allow for sufficient time to develop a robust model and specification as well as to confirm future funding and resource commitments. This will allow for a review of service and future requirements under either the Procurement Act 2023 or the Provider Selection Regime in order to determine the most appropriate commissioning route to ensure the best outcomes for the residents of York and the council achieves Value for Money.
Decision type: Key
Decision status: Decision Made (subject to call-in)
Wards affected: (All Wards);
Notice of proposed decision first published: 16/10/2024
Decision due: 14/11/24 by Executive
Lead member: Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care
Lead director: Corporate Director of Adult Services and Integration
Department: Directorate of Adult Services & Integration
Contact: Kate Helme, Strategic Workforce Development Officer, Children's Trust Unit Email: kate.helme@york.gov.uk Email: kate.helme@york.gov.uk.
Consultation process
Consultation process:
The development of the York Community Mental Health Hubs involved
an in-depth codesign process with representation from clinicians,
social work, local area coordination, voluntary sector, and over
50% lived experience and carers. The core principles that emerged
from this process continue to guide the development of the York hub
model, including the desire to embed lived experience leadership.
Monthly conversation cafes provide ongoing dialogue and involvement
as the project develops. The project also has a dedicated
Coproduction Champion providing ongoing opportunities for
involvement and engagement as well as a System Change Lead who
works alongside voluntary sector colleagues to support and improve
commissioning practice.
We have begun a new codesign process for the 24/7 hub within
Acomb/Westfield/Holgate to inform the model for the new mental
health hub in the West of the City, in particular the overnight
element of this offer. The codesign team includes representatives
from the local community, individuals and carers who have
experienced mental ill health, practitioners from health, social
care, voluntary sector and the police.
Consultees:
• Individuals with lived experience of mental ill health
• Families and carers
• Local community groups
• Individuals from the neurodivergent community
• Practitioners and managers from health, social care,
voluntary sector and police
Lead Member:
Lead member Cllr Steels-Walshaw has been briefed on
10.10.24, 22.10.24 and 29.10.24 and was
satisfied that of the potential options for interim commissioning
arrangements, the proposed option was the only viable mechanism
that would allow the project to progress within timescales and
support the further development of the model. We discussed that
further steps will follow this decision to determine the most
appropriate route to commission the York Mental Health Hub which
will require consideration and decision by an appropriate CYC
representative(s) with delegated authority. We discussed that some
senior hub staff members with sit across all three hubs, but that
learning had demonstrated the need for consistency of team members
within each hub.
Cllr Steels-Walshaw therefore approved the submission of this report to the forward plan.
Equality Impact Assessment Completed?: Yes
Documents
- York Mental Health Hub Commissioning Arrangements: Options Paper