Suffolk Specialist Learning Support Service

Location

Ipswich

Description

The service provides specialist learning support assistants to children and young people ensuring that they can attend and receive education or receive support optimising rehabilitation to return to education at the earliest opportunity.

Total Quantity or Scope

The service is to support individuals in education and when appropriate in hospital, at home or in another residential setting where they meet the National Framework for Children & Young People's Continuing care criteria December 2016 or demonstrate clinical exceptionality and reliance upon technology for their survival. The service delivers Health assessments to inform individualised healthcare plans in consultation with the Child's MDT. SpLSAs are trained and supervised by a qualified Children's Nurse to ensure skills and competencies. The Section 75 agreement is for one year with no options to extend. NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board are awarding the contract named within this notice under the Direct Award C process which is outlined within the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The provider named in this notice is an existing provider and has been reviewed through a Key Criteria assessment to ensure the awarding body is satisfied with current performance and reasonably expects the provider to be able to satisfy the contract which is the subject of this notice. The contract which is the subject of this notice has not changed considerably when compared with the existing contract delivered by the named provider. The ICB may wish to introduce additional services during the lifetime of the contract ("Contract modifications"). Such contract modifications will be contemplated where additional requirements are similar and or complementary to the services already included in the Specification, at any given time. Such expansion would be by the addition of services commissioned by the Authority as named in the Contract Notice. To this end, after the award of contract, there is a possibility that the contract may be varied as allowable in accordance with the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.

Award Detail

Award Criteria

CPV Codes

• 85000000 - Health and social work services

Indicators

• Award on basis of price.

Legal Justification

This is a Provider Selection Regime (PSR) intention to award 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 publication of this notice marks the start of the standstill period. Representations by providers must be made to decision makers by midnight Thursday 9th April 2026 (8 working days following publication of intention to award notice). They should be submitted in writing to procurement@snee.nhs.uk. This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR. Award decision-maker: Designate Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Strategy, Digital and Commissioning NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board and NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board Date of award: 22nd January 2026 • No conflicts of interest, or potential conflicts of interest, were declared by any decision makers. The decision to award this contract in line with Direct Award Process C was based on evaluation against the five required key criteria as follows: • Quality and Innovation - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering a safe and effective service as required by the specification and contract they are currently delivering. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Quality Impact Assessment. • Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering value to the integrated care system and the cost of change would not be outweighed by the potential benefit of a new provider. • Integration, Collaboration and Service Sustainability - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is positively impacting on the integrated care system through their integration and collaboration delivered as a requirement of the specification or alternative elements linked to the delivery. • Improving Access, Reducing Health Inequalities and Facilitating Choice - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is meeting needs of the population to ensure equitable access and choice as required by the specification and contract. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Equality Impact Assessment. • Social Value - Assured - SNEE ICB are assured that the provider is delivering in line with the SNEE Green Plan, supporting with the implementation of carbon reduction and increase in initiatives which positively impact on the wider determinants of health. This criterion was reviewed in line with the Sustainability Impact Assessment.

Other Information

This is a Section 75 Agreement and funding is as follows ICB contribution of £208,690 plus NHSE inflationary uplift. SCC contribution of £308,953 Special Schools contribution of £12,000 per child pro rata for attendances