nhs healthcare contracts

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is seeking providers to deliver Hospital-Based Youth Work services across 10 London hospital sites from April 2027. Building on over a decade of City Hall investment, the service places specialist youth workers within Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) and Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments to support young people affected by violence, exploitation and safeguarding concerns. The service will engage young people aged 11-25 who present at participating hospitals as victims, or suspected victims, of violence, exploitation, sexual violence or other safeguarding risks. Youth workers provide immediate emotional and practical support during a critical "reachable moment", helping young people recover from trauma, reduce future harm, and access ongoing support in their communities. The commission is structured into four geographical Lots covering 10 hospital sites. Providers must demonstrate strong local knowledge, effective partnership working, and the ability to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed youth work within hospital and community settings. Partnership and consortium bids are encouraged. The programme aims to reduce violence and exploitation, improve young people's safety and wellbeing, increase access to positive opportunities and support, reduce hospital re-attendance linked to violence, and reduce offending and reoffending. The contract will run from January 2027 to March 2029, with service delivery commencing in April 2027 and an option to extend for a further 24 months to March 2031. The total potential contract value is up to £9.4m (excluding VAT), subject to funding and approvals.

Project background: Since 2014, City Hall has invested in embedding youth Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) into London’s Major Trauma Centres (MTCs). Since 2023, this programme of work, referred to as hospital-based domestic abuse advocacy (HBDAA), has been overseen and managed by the VRU. Prior to the VRU, this programme and investment had been overseen and managed by MOPAC within City Hill, aligned to the Mayor’s Police & Crime Plan (PCP). The HBDAA programme represents a violence reduction initiative, heavily aligned to the VRU’s own violence reduction strategies, most notably: the trusted relationship between a young person, and a trusted adult, as well as the concept of place, reaching young people where they are, and, in this case, leveraging a reachable moment in the lives of young people to break patterns of violence and harm. Additionally, this intervention sits within a wider programme of hospital-based initiatives, specifically, operating alongside the VRU’s hospital-based youth work (HBYW) programme, which embeds highly skilled and specialised youth workers into London’s four MTCs and eight London A&E units. Description of the service The purpose of embedding these IDVAs is to support children and young people who have been impacted by domestic abuse and other gender based harm; IDVAs are there to offer a supportive and stabilising presence in crisis or distress, and help young people cope and recover from the trauma of physical or psychological injury due to domestic abuse, and help disrupt future patterns of violence and harm. The service engages young people aged 11–25 who present at Major Trauma Centres (MTCs) as victims of domestic abuse, or who are identified as being at risk of future harm. IDVAs provide practical support, advocacy, and help to coordinate a broader safeguarding response for the young person, working alongside clinical and community partners to help young people access appropriate services and support. Support offered typically at the point of presentation may extend beyond that of the hospital, and into the community. Target audience The VRU expects the Service to proactively identify, assess, and engage, young people, aged 11-25, who present at MTCs with injuries resulting from domestic abuse, or other gender-based harms. The following eligibility criteria will apply to the young people offered the Service. A young person: - will present at one of the specific MTCs within the scope of this service, AND; will be aged between 11 and 25 years of age; Additionally, a young person: - will have been, or will be suspected as having been, the victim of domestic abuse, OR; will have been, or will be suspected as having been, the victim of child sexual abuse, OR; will have been, or will be suspected as having been, the victim of rape, OR; will have been, or will be suspected as having been, the victim of sexual exploitation; and, or where a suspected safeguarding issue has arisen. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and the Provider will be expected to use their professional judgment, sometimes in collaboration with hospital staff, to identify forms of vulnerability that warrant intervention. Scope of delivery Services will be delivered in London’s four MTCs, namely: - King’s College Hospital - Royal London Hospital - St George’s Hospital - St Mary’s Hospital Whilst the principles of delivery will remain the same across all hospitals, it is important that the successful bidder demonstrates a strong understanding of, and connection to, the local communities and systems in which their allocated hospitals are situated. The specific outcomes which the VRU are seeking through this provision include, but are not limited to: - Supporting young people to access positive opportunities and support. - Disrupting cycles of violence and reducing violence and harm. - Ensuring that children and young people feel and are safe. - Reducing hospital (re)admissions/attendance. - Reducing offending / severity of offending. Timeframe and Budget The maximum estimated fixed budget for this commission is up to £1,045,957.05 excl VAT over a 50-month contract period (2-month mobilisation, and then a 2-year initial period plus a 24-month extension), subject to confirmation of funding, internal governance and relevant approvals. The indicative value to deliver services within one hospital is £64,565.25 per annum. Market Engagement The VRU will be holding a market warming session on: Tuesday 8th September, 10.00 - 11.00 via MS Teams The VRU welcomes engagement from organisations with experience of delivering domestic abuse advocacy services, mentoring, violence reduction, safeguarding, exploitation, or related support services to children and young people experiencing gender-based harms, particularly within health-based settings. This may include experience of working within hospitals, emergency departments, or in close partnership with health and safeguarding professionals. The Eventbrite link for the market warming session can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hospital-based-domestic-abuse-advocacy-service-market-warming-tickets-1998740918893?aff=oddtdtcreator Please note that this exercise is in no way a call for competition and will not result in the award of a contract to any respondents to this notice.