The Legal Services Commission has recently put this notice on their website.
Please click on this link for further details: http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/civil/tendering/mental_health.asp
Notice on Mental Health Matter Start Allocation
Distribution of Matter Starts further to verification
All appeals received from providers who had their contracts removed as a result of further verification of mental health tenders have now been heard. As a result the Legal Services Commission (LSC) is in a position to redistribute matter starts to eligible providers based on their original mental health bids in accordance with the court order arising from the Public Interest Lawyers Limited/RMNJ case.
However, we recognise that redistributing these newly available matters when there is only one month left of the current year’s schedule is likely to put a number of providers in the position where they fail to meet the KPI that they undertake at least 85% of their schedule allocation. For this reason, we plan to redistribute these matter stars, in accordance with the court order, at the start of the next schedule period. These matters will be allocated in addition to the allocation method for the next schedule period set out below.
In the interim, we recognise that there are some mental health providers who, further to the allocation of supplementary matter starts, are running out of matter starts to cover the one month remaining of this schedule period. We are offering these providers the opportunity to apply for additional matter starts for this period as detailed below.
Application for Matter Starts to the end of this schedule period
The current schedule ends on 30 November 2011, those providers requiring additional matter starts before the end of the schedule period have the opportunity to apply for an additional 10 matter starts provided that they meet the following criteria:
Current mental health contract holder
Have already received a 50% increase in their allocation through the supplementary matter start rules in the contract
Have insufficient matter starts to last until the end of November
Providers who meet the above criteria should contact their Contract Manager. If it is agreed that the above criteria are met, they will be awarded an additional 10 matter starts for the remainder of the schedule period. Matter Starts awarded through this process will not be carried over into the next schedule.
Allocation of Matter Starts for next schedule period
New schedules will start on 1 December 2011 and run for a period of two months. The subsequent schedule will then start on 1 February 2012 and cover a full 12 month period – this is to bring the Standard Civil Contract 2010 in line with new family contracts which are due to start on 1 February 2012. Matter Starts for the next schedule period will be allocated based on one sixth of either 100% of usage from the current schedule year (using matters properly reported until 31 August 2011 plus an estimate of the projected volumes for the remainder of the schedule period) or, where providers have exceeded their matter start allocation, their current allocation.
For the avoidance of doubt, the approach to the allocation of matter starts for the schedule year that will begin on 1 February 2012 has not yet been determined.