Enhanced Aftercare

Tender description

The Council has a requirement to enhance the provision of Enhanced Aftercare. It has been identified that a number of Young People who wish to leave fostering or residential care are not able to live independently due to the lack of a targeted bespoke service which provides community based supported accommodation with a high level of support and 24/7 out of hours response. In 2019 the Care Inspectorate highlighted a number of areas for improvement in relation services to Young People transitioning from the Council’s care. Access to appropriate and safe housing was identified as a key improvement area. Recommendations from consultations with Young People leaving the Council’s care have also identified that access to appropriate housing and support requires improvement. Through Care and Aftercare is also a key priority area within the Council’s Corporate Parenting Strategy which has 4 improvement areas: - Improving assessment & pathways planning - Health & wellbeing - Housing, accommodation & support - Education, training & employment. We are therefore carrying out this further market engagement in order to consider some potential solutions which may be available in the marketplace, in order to provide better support for these Young People in the future. SERVICE REQUIREMENT The Council does not provide a bespoke intensive support and accommodation service for this group of Young People. Of the group approximately 10 Young People are considered in the high-risk category who had left their care placement before they were 18 years. It was reported that at the time that these Young People in particular were posing considerable challenge to services as they were in cycles of crisis. The proposed model is aimed at this most vulnerable group only. PROPOSED MODEL The proposed service will include 2 main elements: 1. 24/7 Intensive Support As part of the Council’s commitment to develop a wider range of options for Young People who choose to leave care, the Council is looking to commission a model of high level support with accommodation for 18 to 21 year olds. The preferred model is to have individual self-contained tenanted flats with communal area(s) with support staff available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year for up to 10 Young People. The provider will be the Landlord and will be responsible for all matters relating to the accommodation. 2. Emergency Accommodation The service will also have capacity to provide safe emergency accommodation and support that some Young People will require as an emergency / short term alternative until they resolve the cause of crisis. The model needs to take account that Young People’s needs for accommodation and support can change on a daily basis and the service can respond to emergency placements. This service will only be possible if there is a space within the 10. The Council requires potential bidders to deliver both housing and support solutions for 10 Young People. Accommodation can be comprised of 2 hubs to allow for a minimum of 5 Young People to be housed within the town of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, and a maximum of 5 Young People to be housed within the town(s) of East Kilbride or Cambuslang or Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire. The accommodation should be situated in urban areas, accessible by frequent local public transport and have access to local amenities (education, work, health facilities, supermarket) within walking distance. The Council would consider a phased implementation of 1 hub in the Hamilton area for a minimum of 5 Young People, with the 2nd hub being ready for occupation at the end of year 1 within the East Kilbride / Cambuslang / Rutherglen area. The service will provide intensive 24/7 support and accommodation, which includes bespoke one to one support for particularly challenging Young People with multiple complex needs. These can include Young People whose latest placements have broken down, who have been released from custody early, whose lives are at risk due to gang involvement criminal exploitation or Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) and Young People at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or who have comorbid substance misuse & mental health. Support includes, but is not limited to: - Staff working across seven days between the hours of 8am and 10pm, so that they can plan to see Young People when it is required. - On-Call crisis support between the hours of 10pm – 8am to deal with emergency issues when they arise, face-to-face support may be required. - Key brokerage with housing, DWP, addictions services and community based organisations. - Support sessions with Young People and their parents/carers to provide mediation and general family support. Future considerations are detailed in the attached market engagement questionnaire.