Kent County Council Extends Mental Health Assessment Service Contract

Kent County Council has extended its Mental Health Assessment Services contract with South East Memory Assessment Services Limited to ensure continued delivery of statutory Mental Health and eligibility assessments under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) process.

The nine-month contract extension will run from 1 August 2026 to 30 April 2027 and has a value of £345,172.50excluding VAT.

According to the award notice, the extension will allow the council to maintain service continuity while it awaits the outcome of the national consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) and considers the implications of the UK Supreme Court’s 2026 judgment on what constitutes a deprivation of liberty.

The Mental Health Assessment Service supports the council in meeting its statutory duty to ensure that people subject to DoLS receive timely Mental Health and eligibility assessments, helping to avoid delays in decisions made by the Supervisory Body.

The contract was awarded to South East Memory Assessment Services Limited, an SME based in the United Kingdom. The contract was concluded on 24 June 2026.

The extension has been made under the Provider Selection Regime without prior publication of a call for competition. Kent County Council stated that the arrangement will provide continuity of provision while future service requirements are determined before a new procurement is undertaken.

The procurement was not divided into lots.

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