Opportunities & Events

Open call for independent evaluators

Location: North Wales | Start Date: May 2025

Summary:

We are seeking to appoint an independent evaluator to evaluate the impact of the project for participants in supporting or potentially improving their wellbeing.

Content:

Summary: An umbrella against the rain is a partnership project between Besti Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Conwy Local Authority (Creu Conwy) and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd Arts, using creativity to improve mental wellbeing post covid-19 through a community programme of Arts for people accessing Mental Health Services or experiencing mental health challenges. We are seeking to appoint an independent evaluator to evaluate the impact of the project for participants in supporting or potentially improving their wellbeing. The project is funded by NHS Charities Together [approved in principle by the Charitable Funds Committee, subject to final approval].

Project briefing

Post-covid there has been a notable impact on the population’s mental health and wellbeing. Recent practice is pivoting to a focus on prevention and early intervention to reduce pressure on NHS services, and to ensure people are able, in line with the Health Board Strategy, to ensure where possible that they receive care closer to home. There is robust evidence for the efficacy of utilising the arts within healthcare (e.g., Fancourt, Warran, & Aughterson 2020). Stimulus, focus, distraction, re-assurance, respite, social, enjoyment and pleasure … all can be cultivated by creativity. This project is a partnership with Creu Conwy and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd Arts teams to deliver arts interventions in community settings within Conwy and Denbighshire.

This means the project can cover a cross spectrum of the population in terms of severity of illness as an adjunct to treatment, to support prevention of worsening mental health, and sustaining current mental health and improving mental health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the project includes community partners hosting activities and supporting participants. This partnership supports the BCUHB Arts in Health Strategic Framework in working in partnership to enhance the health of the population of North Wales through the arts. The focus of this project is on the community as a way to reduce pressure on local mental health units and services in engaging those experiencing mental ill health: early in diagnosis or treatment, or as part of ongoing support after in-patient stays, or to prevent recurrence of illness. Similarly, the project should support overall wellbeing in this group, alongside potential improvement in mood, increased confidence, sense of value and worth, enjoyment and pleasure, distraction and focus. Staff training and development will provide confidence building in integrating the arts within healthcare, support their personal wellbeing, and their engagement with patients. This is intended to have benefits for both the staff and patients to enhance healthcare provision. Partner and artist training and development will support the wider sector to meet demand and need, and ensure there is adequate training and expertise in North Wales to utilise the arts and creativity with people experiencing challenges with their mental health and wellbeing.

A key part is maintaining the health and wellbeing of those working in this area, to prevent burnout and ensure they themselves remain well to continue this work. Project aims The project has two components to achieve its aims:

1. Creative activities in community settings in Conwy and Denbighshire in partnership to support a wide remit of people experiencing mental health difficulties either: having recently been discharged from in-patient services, awaiting treatment for their mental health, having approached their GP or other services for support for their mental health. This community element aims to support Healthcare by reducing pressure on services by supporting those with mental health difficulties sooner as well as for those experiencing ongoing challenges, to support their mental wellbeing to reduce the need to access primary and secondary healthcare provision.

2. Arts training and development for partner organisations, healthcare staff in BCUHB, and artists. A range of benefits anticipated including, for staff: to increase confidence, satisfaction, support patient-staff engagement, alongside supporting staff mental wellbeing. For partners, increased confidence using the arts to support mental health and wellbeing with their participants and for own health and wellbeing. For artists, improving the range of artists skilled to work with people experiencing mental health challenges, as well as supporting their mental health and wellbeing to ensure a supportive and thriving sector able to meet demand and need. This will be delivered in partnership who are experienced in delivering short courses and Higher Education provision in Arts, Health and Wellbeing, as well as making use of a range of resources and expertise. Anticipated outputs Activities will be carried out by externally contracted artists. The project will be managed by the BCUHB Arts in Health Team, with each county Arts Team leading on delivery and reporting within their respective areas. Activities will take place as follows:

Approximately 6 x 10-week blocks (or similar) of art making activity in the community for those on waiting lists and who are waiting for diagnosis/ treatment, or who have recently left mental health services in primary and secondary care (3 per local authority) – subject to confirmation
Staff and partner training and professional development around embedding arts in health practice
Artist training around maintaining the health and wellbeing of the artist workforce and developing those working with people with mental health challenges to support best practice

Progress will be reported twice a year to the Charitable Funds Committee

Location

The project will be taking place at various community locations in Conwy and Denbighshire. This may include: wellbeing hubs, arts venues, community spaces.

Total evaluation budget £4750 (including VAT) and all costs for design, delivery and reporting

Responses to this call out should include accurate pricing, inclusive of expenses, and provide a detailed breakdown of proposed evaluation plan.

Please note that assessment of responses to this invitation will be on perceived quality of service and demonstrable ability to meet the brief, rather than the lowest cost, however, value for money is a selection criterion.

We invite all applicants to put forward their most cost-efficient proposals.

Methods / Approaches

We welcome multi-methods approaches including quantitative and qualitative such as observations, standard wellbeing measures, interviews and focus groups, as well as visual and creative methods of evaluation that can be embedded within the project activities. We are particularly keen to hear from providers who work with ‘Most Significant Change’. Any evaluation will need to be suitable for people experiencing a range of mental health conditions to participate in. This could include:

Changes for participants across the course of engaging with the project
In session impacts and experiences
Artist and delivery partner observations

Measures will be agreed and may include self-reporting and observed changes to overall feelings of wellbeing.

There is also the potential to look at engagement with healthcare teams and services, or participation in other activities.

Measures should also address feelings related to taking part on: relief, stimulation, new skills and confidence, improve mood, provide distraction, increase social ability, and staff/ patient engagement, as examples.

For staff, partners and artists, evaluation should consider staff/patient engagement, their own wellbeing, and new skills and confidence, barriers or opportunities to creative engagement within their respective role, as examples.

Requirements for the independent evaluator

The independent evaluator will work on this project from May 2025 (when appointed) to 31st March 2026 (when final reports are due).

The independent evaluator will work closely with Creu Conwy and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd Arts teams to deliver the evaluation as outlined in this brief.

Interim updates (at 3, 6 and 9 months) should be provided to BCUHB, Creu Conwy, and Denbighshire Leisure Limited.

Data protection and ethics

The project will comply with BCUHB ethics procedures for service evaluation. The chosen evaluator will manage and organise any evaluation data collected, in agreement with partners for data protection, collection, and sharing. The chosen evaluator will provide a data protection statement for assurance for how data is stored and kept. An agreement will be in place in order for the appropriate sharing of data for evaluation as required from partners, to be undertaken. The chosen evaluator will provide quality assurance to the project team that the highest quality standards for the methods undertaken have been met, providing interim updates and draft copies of key deliverables.

Data Collection and design

The evaluator will be responsible for the collection of data, working with partners to ensure they are able to regularly attend sessions as required, engage in meetings and discussion for the development of the evaluation, and will be responsible for the design, data analysis and reporting. The evaluator will also share interim results and key updates with the providers and partners.

Deliverables

An evaluation protocol including brief description of evaluation design, proposed methods and approaches, description of interventions, sample size, details of data to be collected and timelines for data collection
A detailed project evaluation report including: an executive summary outlining key findings from the report, Introduction – providing a background and outlining the content of the report, Intervention description Methodology – description of the research strategy adopted, Findings, Discussion – of results, limitations of trial and future research directions, Harvard style references provided for the evidence cited, Any relevant supplementary information (e.g., tables, charts, summary data) This can be visually and creatively dynamic in its presentation.
The final report to be provided in a format which is ready for external publication including partner logos, and agreed formatting
Provide timely information as to the progress of the evaluation so that project partners can fulfil reporting requirements to its funders Project timeline An indicative timeline for the application process and a tentative project timeline, is provided below

Application and project timeline

Deadline for submitting to callout Friday 25 April 2025 5 pm BST

Shortlisting and decision 29 – 01 May 2025 Contracting 1 – 14 May 2025

Project commences 14 May 2025

Interim updates/ reporting End of July 2025, End of October 2025, January 2026

Final project report 31 March 2026 Eligibility

This call is open to evaluators who are able to meet the project brief, deliverables, and timeline. The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this role.

How to apply

Please send your expression of interest to: BCU.ArtsInHealth@wales.nhs.uk by 5pm BST on Wednesday 16 April 2025, You will be informed of the outcome of your submission by Monday 21st April 2025

We anticipate that the project will start at the beginning of May 2025 If you have any questions regarding the open call, please get in touch over email via BCU.ArtsInHealth@wales.nhs.uk BCUHB Arts in Health team will endeavour to circulate a response to these queries within 3-4 working days

Your EOI should include:

A brief statement on why you are interested in this opportunity (500 words max), and your initial approach
2 examples of relevant evaluation work in this field
Your CV
A fully costed quotation
You may include links to online examples Application assessment Your application will be assessed by the project partner team.

The strength of applications will be assessed on the below criteria:

The application – meeting the project brief
How well the application answers the brief
How well it articulates the ability to deliver all requirements and deliverables • Ability to evidence a range of appropriate measures and tools Budget • Feasibility based on the budget submitted
Value for money The project team
Ability of the evaluator to provide assurance on their stability and viability for the duration of the project
Ability of the evaluator to demonstrate their ability to work in partnership and to work with participants experiencing a range of mental health and other health challenges that impact their mental health and wellbeing

Data Protection and ethics compliance

Ability of the evaluator to ensure data compliance
Ability of the evaluator to ensure ethical processes Additional guidance The project team reserves the right, acting reasonably, to:
Discontinue the award procedure in the absence of appropriate applications;
Change the timetable for the procurement of the Contract, and in such circumstances BCUHB Arts in Health will notify all applicants of any change by the fastest means possible;
Terminate discussions with organisations which apply;
Discontinue the procedure leading to the award of the Contract; • Not to award any Contract at all as a result of this process Under no circumstances shall BCUHB Arts in Health incur any liability in respect of any of these actions.
No publicity regarding the project will be permitted until BCUHB Arts in Health has given express written consent to the relevant communication. No statements may be made to any part of the media regarding the nature of this application, its contents or any proposals relating to it without the prior written consent of the project partners.
BCUHB Arts in Health will not reimburse any costs incurred by organisations in connection with preparation of their applications.
If you are unsure of the meaning of a question or anything in this invitation to tender then it is the applicant’s responsibility to ask BCUHB Arts in Health to clarify in writing via email.
BCUHB will endeavour to circulate a response to any queries within 3-4 working days. BCUHB Arts in Health may also decline to answer a question if it deems the question to be inappropriate. If BCUHB Arts in Health is unable to answer a question, this will be communicated.