Social work services with accommodation

Tender description

Brighton and Hove City Council are seeking a provider to operate a 24-hour rapid support and assessment service based on a no first night out model. Please note that the timescales involved in establishing the service are very tight and it is necessary that potential bidders have access to suitable accommodation available from the 1 April 2020. We are looking for: — the provision of a 24-hour accommodation-based assessment and support service; — a service which will operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year; — a service which will operate a minimum of 20 bed spaces overall this will include assessment bedspaces and a minimum of 6 ‘staging post’ beds (individual rooms); — the Council would welcome the addition of move on accommodation for the service within the current funding. The service will: — be for individuals who are homeless, rough sleeping and those at imminent risk of rough sleeping; — receive referrals from housing options and the street outreach service via a robust referral and assessment process. Client data will be managed through the Bthink IT system; — offer a flexible but clear referral process which allows placements to be made on the spot if a vacancy is available; — have no minimum stay but will have a target for the average stay for the majority of users of 45 days; — complete a robust triage assessment for individuals for a range of support and accommodation needs which will be completed within 24 hours of attending the service; — stabilise clients by ensuring they feel safe and that their basic needs are being met; — identify an appropriate accommodation option for an individual and make appropriate referrals and will work with housing options to ensure that the service is part of a pathway that includes assessments of local authority duties and provision of a personalised housing plan; — facilitate reconnections to other local authority areas for people with no local connection to Brighton and Hove; — provide a psychologically informed environment for staff and service users. The contract will not be subdivide into lots therefore it is the expectation of the commissioners that the services will be provided by a single provider. Due to the timing and sensitivity of the services being provided, the Council would request that only organisations who have a real and present chance of fulfilling the specification submit expressions of interest in response to this request. In your response to this call for competition the Council please confirm that your organisation (or in the case of consortium bids, all members of the consortium) are able to demonstrate the following: — strong experience of working with people who are at risk of sleeping rough; — experience of providing an assessment and accommodation service; — experience of working with clients with a range of support needs; — experience of working with people to provide rapid accommodation assessments; — detailed knowledge of PIE and TIC; — experience of assessing risk and developing risk management plans; — the ability to work collaboratively with a range of services; — experience of providing a safe environment and managing a building the accommodates vulnerable people, including working with neighbours and the local community. The prospective service provider will need to supply the address the support service will be located in their call for competition response and include details of the number and type of units and crash spaces available. The proposed contract length for this service is 2 years, however year 2 would be subject to continued funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Please respond to this call for competition by sending your response to procurement@brighton-hove.gov.uk by the closing date listed below.