NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), NHS Basildon & Brentwood CCG, NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG, NHS Southend CCG, NHS Thurrock CCG (hereinafter called 'the Authority') are publishing this Contract Award Notice in association with the voluntary ex ante transparency notice (2020/S 177-428800) published 11th September 2021, as amended by Corrigendum (2022/S 000-002100) on 24th January 2022, confirming the award of a contract to NELFT for provision of Mental Health Support Teams 1st January 2022 that will expire on 31st August 2025, at an aggregate contract value of £6,592,347 (including VAT), equating to £5,493,622 (excluding VAT).

Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) are new services designed to support mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in and around schools and colleges. The teams were described in Transforming children and young people's mental health provision: a Green Paper and they are a key element of the ambitions set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

The CCGs are developing a multi-year trajectory and a regional plan for future MHST waves (Waves 5 , 7 and 9) from 2022 to 2025 in accordance with NHSE's "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision Green Paper". A further six teams are being allocated to Mid and South Essex and the proposed total aggregate contract value is £6,592,347.

NHSE have decided nationally to move away from the current annualised bidding process for funding relating to Mental Health Support Teams that CCG's had to undertake previously, to a multi-year approach. This was to ensure the NHS achieve at least 20-25% coverage nationally by 2023/25 in line with the proposals within the in "Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision Green Paper".

Additionally, it means that the NHS can take a longer-term view and thus:

• Ensure more equitable coverage across (& within Regions)

• It will allow local areas more time to plan and prepare for future waves e.g. engaging with key partners locally at an earlier stage.

• It will support local systems and regions transition MHSTs to 'business as usual' in preparation for the expected continuation and expansion of roll out of MHSTs beyond 2023/25.

NHSE/I's 'Delivery Support Pack' for CCG's stated in the operating principles that as part of the funding being awarded, MHSTs should be additional to, and integrated with, existing support. The CCGs were expected in their funding application to reflect how the MHST offer is integrated with the existing local offer. NHSE/I set a clear expectation that a broad coalition of partners spanning a range of education settings, local authorities including public health, the voluntary sector, Higher Education Institutions (HEI's) and local providers collaborate with CCGs in steering and supporting local implementation.

In light of considerable mobilisation risks associated with any transfer of service, and the ambitious timescales mandated by NHSE/I, the CCGs decided that the best solution to ensure that children and young people in Mid and South Essex continue to benefit from MHST is to integrate with the CYP MH provider, who is uniquely placed to successfully deliver MHST and its future expansion programme, within the mandated timescales.

This Contract Award Notice follows the publication of a voluntary ex ante transparency notice (2020/S 177-428800) published 11th September 2021, as amended by Corrigendum (2022/S 000-002100) on 24th January 2022.