Published date: 5 August 2019

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 2 September 2019

Contract summary

Industry

  • Health and social work services - 85000000

Location of contract

North West

Value of contract

£2,153,642

Procurement reference

CUM001-DN426366-44252780

Published date

5 August 2019

Closing date

2 September 2019

Contract start date

1 April 2020

Contract end date

31 July 2023

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Open procedure

Any interested supplier may submit a tender in response to an opportunity notice.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

Yes

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No


Description

The Authority's current Short Term Accommodation Support Service is designed to meet a range of housing support needs presented by young people across the county and is due to end 31st March 2020.
The Authority currently commissions 69 units of supported accommodation. Between April 2016 and 31 March 2019 the Authority received a total of 1226 referrals of which 656 (54%) were accepted. Of those young people receiving housing related support, 51% were aged between 16-17 years; 41% were aged 18-21 years; 8% were aged 22-24 years. Twenty six young people in the services were care leavers and of those 12 were aged 16-17 years.
Under the Children Act 1989, the Authority has a statutory duty to provide suitable accommodation to a 16-17 year old who requests help; it also a duty to provide support in finding and keeping accommodation to formerly looked after children until they are 21 years old (or 25 if in education or training). The Authority has no statutory duty to offer housing related support to people who are not in these groups.
Having conducted a thorough review of Short Term Accommodation services, Cumbria County Council has concluded that in addition to its statutory responsibilities, it will continue to offer provision to young people to whom they do not owe a statutory duty as an early prevention measure to reduce the need for support or intervention in the future.
In response to the findings of the service review, the Authority has adopted the principles of the St Basil's Positive Pathway model to meet the needs of young people in Cumbria. As a result there are significant changes to the Service Specifications which now reflect an increased emphasis on:

• A clear and effective referral Pathway into supported accommodation or flexible support, accessed through a single point.
• A Pathway to enable young people to make the transition from requiring intensive support through to independent living.
• Support, which is delivered flexibly and based on the assessment of individual needs; for example a young person might require intermittent levels of high support when they first enter the Pathway, followed by periods of reduced support.
• Strong partnership working, based on the need to deliver clear outcomes, which add value to a young person's journey through the Pathway.
• Enhanced Contract monitoring and Contract management arrangements.
• Continuous improvement.
These changes are taking place within a national context of reduced central government funding to local authorities.


About the buyer

Contact name

Jodie Laird

Address

Cumbria House
107 - 117 Botchergate
Carlisle
CA1 1RZ
England

Telephone

+44 1228226456

Email

jodie.laird@cumbria.gov.uk

Website

http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/