Award of Contract for Specialist Mental Health Support for Victims and Witnesses

Decision

Sign the contract with CPSL Mind to provide Specialist Mental Health Support for victims and witnesses of crime

Decision Summary

In line with the ‘Commissioning and Grants Strategy’ the OPCC has re-commissioned the service to provide mental health support for victims and witnesses. A transparent procurement process was undertaken which was led by 7F Commercial Services.

The successful bidder was Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind (CPSL Mind) who will be awarded with five-year contract (3+1+1) worth £368,879.  This will be met from the annual Ministry of Justice Victims Services Grant.

The service will take over from the incumbent provider on 1 April 2023.

This service will receive referrals for support from the Victim and Witness Hub, Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVA) or the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service (ISVA) and self-referrals.

The service will be required to:

• Assess the needs of victims/witnesses referred to them and agree bespoke support plans which meet their needs and enable them to manage their mental health challenges which are preventing them from coping and recovering from the crime they have experienced;
• Provide low-level mental health advice and support to include self-help techniques on relaxation, stress and anxiety management which enable a victim or witness to understand that what they are experiencing is a normal reaction to an abnormal incident;
• Where required, support victims to access (including self-refer) to the most appropriate services, including primary care services (such as GPs) or secondary community care services (to include specialist teams) and advocate on their behalf;
• Deliver emotional and practical support in a trauma-informed way.

Staff will be co-located in the Victim and Witness Hub a minimum of two days a week.

The Commissioner is recommended to sign the contract award.