Isolation Accommodation for newly arrived Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children with Communicable Infectious Diseases (SC240023)

Tender description

Kent County Council has a statutory responsibility for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking (UAS) Children under the Children Act 1989. In response to the High Court Ruling in July 2023, the Council is seeking a provider with immediate access to a registered Children’s Home to accommodate those children under 16 arriving in the UK and require isolation due to suspected or confirmed communicable infectious diseases. Lot 1: The services required to fulfill the offer of a Reception Centre is made up of: • Accommodation for UASC males; must be single bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms with some shared facilities i.e., kitchen and dining facilities and shared lounges. • Accommodation for staff such as offices, meeting rooms and communal areas to deliver the independence skills required, various assessments and administrative functions. • Housing support from the landlord including furniture, safety equipment such as CCTV and concierge services. • Support staff/Social Worker support. Ideally, the Reception Centre must be able to flex to an increasing need, potentially by having bedrooms and communal space of a size to fit more than one single male in one room. Physical Accommodation Requirements • A single building or grouped buildings on the same site of between 80-120 units. We will NOT be interested in small properties dispersed across the county. • The building/grouped buildings must have the correct planning permission in place to be able to deliver this service to this specific cohort. • A location within the geographical boundary of the East Kent or South Kent. • Set in a discrete location to have minimal impact on the local community. • Catering facility able to accommodate the number of occupants. • Only male aged 16-17 occupancy. • Minimum capacity of 80 placements, ideally up to 120 placements. • Communal areas are available for socialising, lessons, and briefings. • Low maintenance costs. • Easy to repair given propensity for damage. • Space for office accommodation for the SUASC Operational Team (22 staff).