North Yorkshire Council

        Children and Young Peoples Executive Members Meeting

17 December 2024

Clinical Practitioner Service Offer – Psychologically Informed Partnership Approach (PIPA)

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1       To set out and seek approval for the re-procurement of North Yorkshire Council’s Clinical Practitioner Service Offer – Psychologically Informed Partnership Approach (PIPA) and for the Leadership Team to approve a proposed contract length of 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years, commencing from 1st April 2025.  The current contract is due to expire on 31st March 2025.

2.0       SUMMARY

2.1       The service offer contributes to a psychologically informed partnership approach to meeting the needs of Looked after Children and those who are Children in Need or on the edge of care. The service has two key inter related strands, both of which centre on psychological approaches.

            The first of these strands is to provide a flexible, proactive, creative and psychological service for children, young people and families. The second strand is to support CYPS to embed psychological approach to practice, through bespoke training, consultation and joint working. This will include supporting the development of systemic practice through consultation, formulation and joint working and developing reflective approaches to practice throughout the organisation in partnership with LA staff, managers and senior leaders.

            The service offer will also help bridge the experience of young people with mental health needs providing liaison and promoting engagement with child and adolescent and adult mental health services. The service is not an alternative to mental health services, either for children or adults, provided by health or third sector providers.

3.0       BACKGROUND

3.1       This is a reprocurement of existing provision. The current partnership model has ran from 01 April 2020 and will expire on 31 March 2025.

3.2       This arrangement was commissioned to enable the Authority and the Provider to work together and create a partnership response to a new model of support which gave vulnerable children and young people access to evidence based psychological support.  The model in place is based on practice learning and national and international evidence base. 

4.0       ISSUES

4.1       To remove this service entirely would result in a loss of support to children and families. The service was currently working in March 2024 with an increase of 13.5% children than in March 2023.

5.0       CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES

5.1       The continued work of the PIPA service aligns to the Council’s People priority by offering the right targeted support to young people at the earliest point of their identified need.  This provides early preventative support which will prevent escalation into the higher need’s services such as CAMHS and promote the wellbeing of young people in the community.

6.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

6.1       Should the PIPA service be brought in-house, the clinical expertise and supervision needed when supporting staff would be lost.

6.2       Should the PIPA Service end, this would impact on children, families and workforce that are supported in working with trauma.

6.3       Without the PIPA service provision, there would be an increase to the demand of an existing stretched CAMHS service, who without the PIPA service would likely not be able to meet the day-to-day demand.

7.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1       The total value for the contract is anticipated to be £4,826,200 should all potential extensions be utilised.

8.0       LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

8.1       The procurement exercise will be undertaken by the Council’s Procurement and Contract Management Service, with a Gateway report will be considered in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules.

9.0       EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1       To be updated once the EIA assessment form has been completed to understand whether a full assessment is required.

10.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

10.1     There are no significant climate change implications arising from this report (please see attached Initial Climate Change Impact Assessment Form Attached at Appendix B).

11.0     HUMAN RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS

11.1     The day to day running of the PIPA Service is overseen by a Practice Supervisor, employed by NYC, who provides management supervision of the PIPA team and has oversight of cases and performance; alongside acting as a point of contact between the TEWV and NYC processes. Clinical oversight of the service is provided by the Clinical Lead who is employed by TEWV.

12.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

12.1	RECOMMENDATION(S)
	i) Approval of the re-procurement of North Yorkshire Council’s Clinical Practitioner Service Offer – Psychologically Informed Partnership Approach (PIPA) for a proposed contract length of 3 years with an option to extend for a further 2 years, commencing from 1st April 2025

            APPENDICES:

Appendix A – Equality Impact Assessment

            Appendix B – Initial Climate Change Impact Assessment Form

Stuart Carlton

Corporate Director – Children and Young People Services

County Hall

Northallerton

Report Author – Emma Hopper

Presenter of Report – Emma Hopper and Louisa Cordon

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.