Centralising Language Services Across South Yorkshire ICS
Background
The Language Services Joint Award was developed to bring Trusts across the South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (SY ICS) together under one contract. The goal was to create a single, cost-effective solution that could meet different local needs while being innovative and transformative. From the start, the contract included clear performance measures and Social Value commitments to ensure efficiency, value for money, and fair access for all service users.
The collaborative project utilised NOE CPC’s Language Services framework, which supports service users who do not read or write English, and those with communication difficulties, including hearing, oral, or learning impairments. By using this framework, SY ICS gained access to pre-approved suppliers able to deliver services at scale, while supporting compliance and reducing procurement risk.
Project
Key stakeholders from each Trust, including Procurement and Patient Experience teams, were involved in developing and implementing the contract. Procurement focused on commercial and delivery aspects, while Patient Experience ensured service user access, service efficiency, and clinical effectiveness were considered.
The inclusion of Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with a different supplier background, added complexity. Through joint discussions, Trusts aligned their requirements, ensuring the specification could be bid on effectively by a single supplier while meeting multi-Trust needs. Award criteria were refined using lessons learned from previous contracts, supporting a fair and transparent evaluation process.
The contract went live on 1 July 2025, establishing a single supplier arrangement with ongoing performance monitoring and structured stakeholder engagement.
Key Considerations
Working across multiple Trusts with different requirements, governance, and funding streams added complexity. Aligning expectations and creating a specification for a single supplier required collaboration and flexibility.
Early discussions focused on tailoring the supplier’s services to SY ICS’s needs. A shared position was first agreed between ICS and NOE CPC colleagues and then taken forward in discussions with the supplier. This approach ensured conversations were clear, unified, and well managed.
While the process took time, strong coordination and facilitation kept the project on track and ensured the focus remained on supporting service users with language or communication needs.
Outcome
The Language Services Joint Award provides a consistent, high-quality solution across SY ICS, with embedded KPIs and Social Value commitments. Trusts have benefited from shared learning, improved supplier engagement, and enhanced understanding of service delivery models across the ICS.
Sue Grundy, Deputy, Head of Procurement and Caitlin Fish, Senior Buyer at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust reflected:
"Bringing together multiple Trusts across the ICS into one process and one outcome has been extremely beneficial. Collaboration has helped us understand different ways services are delivered, informed our consent policies, and supported improvements in service user care.
“The project has already informed best practice, improved service delivery processes, and laid a strong foundation for future ICS-wide initiatives. Utilising NOE CPC’s Language Services framework helped ensure suppliers were capable and compliant, providing confidence while allowing the focus to remain on meeting service user needs efficiently and effectively.”
If you’d like to learn more about our Language Services framework, you can find more information by clicking here.