More support for people with complex mental health needs in Lancashire and South Cumbria

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has awarded new contracts for the delivery of services which will support more people with severe mental illness (SMI). 

In April 2024, the ICB invited providers to bid for the following contracts as part of a competitive tender process: 

• Peer support worker service 

• Physical health checks for people with a severe mental illness outreach service 

There were 12 contracts in total which providers could bid for. Each service had six contracts covering Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen, South Cumbria, Lancashire East, Lancashire Central, and Lancashire North. 

Following a robust evaluation and moderating process, the successful providers were confirmed as:   

• The Calico Group – awarded all six peer support service contracts, and five of the outreach service contracts (covering Blackpool, Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire East, Lancashire Central and Lancashire North). Calico will be the lead provider in a partnership made of local charities and community organisations including Acorn Recovery Projects, Red Rose Recovery, An Inclusive Future CIC, and Lancashire Mind. 

• Spring North – awarded the outreach service contract for South Cumbria. 

All contracts have been awarded for three years with an option to extend for a further two years. The new contracts went live on 1 December 2024.  

Peer support workers encourage and support people with mental health needs to engage with services and voluntary organisations who offer a range of activities and social connectivity. 

Meanwhile, the aim of the outreach service, which is brand-new, is to work closely with primary care networks and general practices to identify people aged 18 and over on SMI registers who have not had a health check in the last three years. The service provider will then contact them to encourage them to take up their health check. 

Lesley Tiffen, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB’s associate director for mental health – planned care, said: “Over the past few months, we have gone through a rigorous procurement process, and I would like to thank all providers who submitted a bid. We are confident the successful providers will deliver a high standard of service to people with a severe mental illness in Lancashire and South Cumbria.     

“People with severe mental illness have complex mental health needs and diagnoses can include, psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, eating disorders, severe depression, and mental health rehabilitation needs. We want to make sure we’re supporting these people in the best way possible. 

“Both the peer support worker service and the outreach service will provide crucial support to those who suffer some of our greatest inequalities. The life expectancy of people living with severe mental illness is 15–20 years shorter than that for the general population, largely due to preventable physical illnesses. We desperately want to change this statistic.” 

Tom Woodcock, director of partnerships and collaboration for The Calico Group, said: “We’re pleased to be able to deliver these much-needed services for people with complex mental health conditions. Our partnership approach aims to bring existing local organisations together not only to provide person-centred support, but also to make connections in the community which will have long-lasting benefits for them and their families”. 

Find out more about what these services will deliver here: www.lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/community-mental-health-transformation/whats-offer