Contract for the delivery of advice and guidance to Walsall residents in specific Walsall locality areas (Making Connections Walsall)

Descriptions

The aim of this procurement for the delivery of advice and guidance to Walsall residents to address loneliness and social isolation to residents of all ages in Walsall. The service is designed to empower residents to take responsibility for their own health and well-being by helping them to engage in community activities and build social networks.

Walsall Council is seeking Voluntary Sector/ Community led organisations to deliver this service in the specific Walsall locality areas which are:

Hub 1: North Walsall - AP 3 - Bloxwich East, Bloxwich West, Birchills Leamore, Blakenhall

Hub 2: West Walsall - AP5 - Bentley and Darlaston North, Darlaston South, AP6 - Willenhall North, Short Heath, Willenhall South

Hub 3: East Walsall - AP1 - Pelsall, Brownhills, Aldridge North, Rushall-Shelfield and Walsall Wood, AP2 - Aldridge and Beacon

Hub 4: South Walsall - AP4 - Walsall South, St Matthews, Paddock, Palfrey, Pleck

The service offers one-to-one support and a simple referral process, making it accessible for those who might benefit from it. It's part of a broader effort to create a more connected and supportive community, where individuals feel valued and included.

The Hubs are delivered through a hub and spoke locality model with each hub connecting residents, to other appropriate community-based provision. The hubs provide a flexible approach and over the years have continued to adapt to meet the needs of residents.

The main focus of the service is around tackling loneliness and social isolation, improving wellbeing and reducing preventable health and social care service use. It takes a "strength-based approach" to improve the social connectivity of all residents across Walsall.

Engagement

This Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) process aims to inform potential suppliers and gather market intelligence. The objectives of the PME process is as follows: 1.) To provide potential suppliers with insights into the service and to engage with them where appropriate. 2.) To better understand the current market and those suppliers already operating in the locality areas described above and whether there are potential organisations who are able to meet the delivery requirements of the specification. 3.) To inform the procurement process. Completion and submission of the pre-market engagement questionnaire via the council's e-procurement portal.