Social work and related services

Tender description

The Council is applying for a grant in order to secure continuity with the services, and it intends to go out to tender late January, beginning of February 2021 in order to have the contract in place by end of March. The Council will be looking to appoint suitably experienced and skilled contractor for the delivery of Rough sleeping outreach service has been delivered by the Council through the Department of Communities and local Government Homeless Prevention Grant since 2014. The service will: • provide appropriate assertive outreach cover across the borough and respond to reports of all rough sleepers within 24 hours; • take an assertive approach to encouraging and referring all new rough sleepers to NSNO assessment hub, local Emergency Bed spaces/ Safe Seats or alternatives; • put in place support plans for individuals that are reviewed at appropriate intervals to ensure goals and actions specified continue to be relevant and that any progress is monitored and recorded. This procurement exercise would only go ahead if we have received confirmation the council has been successful and will be granted funding to cover the entire cost of the scheme. The Council will only exercise their discretion to extend the scheme at the end of the initial term is further funding is received. The Council will vary the contract and increase available funds to the awarded contractor if they are successful in securing further grant for the same services during the life of the contract. The estimated time for release of tender is w/c 7 February 2021, however, this will be dependent on the he Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for housing, communities and local government in England approving the grant by the mentioned date. The bidders should note that the Council published this Prior Information notice with the intention to reduce the time limits for receipt of tenders once the OJEU contract notice is published. The reason for this is to have the contract in place in line with the grant application. There will be TUPE applicable to this contract as there is an existing provider delivering the services through grants secure previously by the Council. In addition, we would like to highlight that the aim of this procurement is to commission this service as described above and at full capacity commencing in April-May 2021. However, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the external environment and Government Guidance is evolving. We will assess closer to the time to ensure the successful provider is fully able to comply with current Government guidance on Covid-19 Safety while at meeting the needs of our rough sleeping population. This may include by not limited of service provision adaptations for an interim period. As set out in section II.1.4).