NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board- Youth Worker Service

The service places Youth Workers in wards and clinics at the 3 Acute hospitals, playing a crucial role in supporting Children and Young People aged 11-25 years with Long Term Conditions and displaying low -medium level mental health issues.
The Youth Workers provide a holistic, compassionate and trauma informed approach, having the time to begin to forge trusting relationships with the CYP that clinical staff may not be able to due to capacity, experience and perceived barriers of uniformed services.
Direct Award C has been used for the award of this contract. The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed new contract. The services provided are the service specification are not changing considerably
This contract is for a period of 24 months from 01/04/26 to 31/03/28
This Notice has been published by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioners.

NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board ("the ICB") is directly awarding a contract to the existing provider Barnardo's Services Limited in accordance with the criteria outlined in Regulation (9) of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023.
The youth worker service will through early intervention and prevention reduce re-attendance in ED for less complex patients
• Through early intervention and prevention reduce re-admissions to hospital
• Improved clinical experience for CYP
• Provide an integrated "handholding" support service to access longer term provider led or community based support and/or CYP mental health services.
• Improve the overall hospital experience for CYP and their families/carers
• Timely access to appropriate interventions and successful engagement in collaborative community and statutory services for improved mental and emotional well-being.
• Reduction in subsequent medical appointments missed
• Increased CYP adherence to treatment plans and subsequent improvement in initial/primary presented health condition
• Increased time for clinical staff & CAMHS/AWP to focus on the medical needs of patients
• Through early intervention improve the mental wellbeing of engaging CYP
• Increased knowledge, empathy and understanding of working with CYP for clinical and hospital staff, through close working with and upskilling of hospital staff colleagues resulting in the clinical teams fully understanding the youth worker role, service, referral pathway options and benefits.
• Reduce unwarranted variation and therefore improve health comes for CYP across BSW
• Work in an integrated way with all stakeholders to improve the support provided for CYP and reduce the inequalities/inequity CYP face.
Direct Award C has been used for the award of this contract. The existing provider is satisfying the original contract and will likely satisfy the proposed new contract. The services provided are the service specification are not changing considerably
The Commissioner made the decision of directly awarding the incumbent
Provider Barnardo's Services Limited in accordance with the following five criteria outlined in Regulation (9) of the Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023:
• Quality and innovation
• Value
• Integration, collaboration, and service sustainability
• Improving access, reducing health inequalities and facilitating choice
• Social value
The authority is assured that the current provider is delivering this service and outcomes to a satisfactory level and meeting the needs of the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Population
The approximate lifetime value of the contract is £152,000.
The Contract is for 2 years from 1st April 2026 - 31st March 2028.
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 Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and 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 24th February 2026 (8 working days following publication of intention to award notice).

This contract has not yet formally been awarded; this notice serves as an intention to award under the PSR.

This Notice has been published by NHS South, Central and West Commissioning Support Unit (SCW) on behalf of the Commissioner.