Modification of Community Services to increase Children's Therapies Capacity

Expansion of an existing community based therapy service for children and young people age 0-18 within Hounslow. This includes the provision of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), which supports children who experience speech, language and communication difficulties, and dysphagia (difficulty with swallowing), and Occupational Therapy (OT), for children who have developmental difficulties, sensory processing difficulties, and physical or neurological disabilities, to engage with activities and functional communication in their daily lives. The service is provided in a range of settings to best meet the needs of the child, including clinic, school and home. The service plays a role in improving health outcomes for children as well as enabling them to access education. The service is being expanded to include the provision of therapy to children with Education, Health and Care Plans in specialist school settings.

Additional information: The existing community services contract worth £24m is being modified from 5th April 2019 to increase its capacity in regard to the provision of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy Services to children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans in specialist school settings. Recognising its obligations and responsibilities under the NHS (Procurement Patient Choice and Competition)(No.2) Regulations 2013, the CCG has assessed the most appropriate contractual solution will be to secure this capacity through this existing community services contract, avoiding duplication of costs to the CCG and to achieve a sustainable, value for money provision of services, which will assure the safest continuity of service provision. The value of the increased modification will be £732,851.