East Cheshire NHS Trust (“the Trust”) intends to establish a single supplier framework to provide HR services to itself and for the benefit of other public bodies. The framework will be established for a duration of 4 years and the term of each call-off contract will be up to a period of 4 years.

The Trust currently receives services from its in-house team, Cheshire HR Service, which provides innovative and market leading HR services best suited to public sector requirements and outlook. Cheshire HR Service is an arms length organisation, hosted by East Cheshire NHS Trust, and is made up of HR, Learning and Development and HR Administrative professionals and specialists with extensive experience in delivering HR services. Further details of Cheshire HR Service are provided in the tender documents, but basic company information can be found at: http://www.cheshirehr.nhs.uk/

It is intended that the successful operator may acquire Cheshire HR Service and its assets to deliver HR services to the Trust and also to extend Cheshire HR Service's coverage to a broader customer base. Further details of the assets will be provided in the tender documentation. It is envisaged that there may be a staff transfer pursuant to the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. Fuller details of the number of staff involved will be provided in the tender documentation.

The scope of services to be provided under the framework agreement includes: Payroll Services, Payroll Administration, Resourcing Services, Recruitment Administration, Bank Recruitment, Recruitment Training Executive Search and Selection, System Support (ESR), Workforce Information Administration and Analysis, Learning and Development Administration (OLM), Employee Relations, Outplacement Services, Clinical Skills Training, Leadership & Management, Vocational Training Wellbeing Services, Staff Counselling and Support, Occupational Health, Organisational Development Consultancy, Governance Consultancy and Health & Safety Consultancy. Fuller details are provided in the Information Memorandum (“MOI”).

It is envisaged that the successful operator will contract with the Trust to deliver Payroll Administration, Recruitment Administration, Systems Support (ESR), Workforce Information Administration and Analysis, Learning and Development Administration (OLM), Employee Relations, Clinical Skills Training, Leadership & Management, Wellbeing Services and Organisational Development/ HR & L&D Consultancy. The remainder of the contractual arrangements will be entered into under the framework agreement as and when required by the Trust.

The framework agreement is available to other contracting authorities. A list of public bodies which may enter into contractual arrangements under the framework agreement and which have consented to being included on the framework agreement is annexed to the MOI. Additionally, the following public bodies may also call off contracts from the framework agreement:

National Health Service (NHS) bodies, including hospital Trusts, which in turn include Acute Trusts, Trusts operating community hospitals and the provider functions of Primary Care Trusts); Primary Care Trusts and General Practitioner commissioning consortia; Care Trusts; Care Trusts Plus; Ambulance Trusts; Mental Health Trusts; Strategic Health Authorities; Special Health Authorities; Community Health Councils; Local Health Boards; NHS Foundation Trusts

Health Boards, NHS Trusts, Community Health Councils and other constituent bodies of the NHS in Wales.

Lists of all of such NHS Authorities, Trusts, Boards and other bodies can be found at:

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AcuteTrustListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/PrimaryCareTrustListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/MentalHealthTrustListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/CareTrustListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/AmbulanceTrustListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/StrategicHealthAuthorityListing.aspx

http://www.nhs.uk/ServiceDirectories/Pages/SpecialHealthAuthorityListing.aspx and

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/nhswalesaboutus/structure

NHS bodies, including any statutory and other successor organisations to any of the foregoing and in addition any other commissioners (whether alone or jointly with any other organisation), providers and regulators of NHS funded (either in whole or in part) services including clinical commissioning groups, the National Commissioning Board (and all sub national offices).

Local authorities in the United Kingdom, a list of such authorities being available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Dl1/Directories/Localcouncils/AToZOfLocalCouncils/DG_A-Z_LG

Local authorities in the United Kingdom and their respective statutory successors and organisations created as a result of re-organisations or organisational changes, and any private sector entities having similar procurement needs.