Rough Sleeper Support & Accommodation

Descriptions

Speculative Notice for Rough Sleeper Support & Accommodation in DenbighshireContextIn Rhyl, Denbighshire, there is a direct access Night Shelter with 8-9 bed spaces available all year round. Access is first-come-first-served on a nightly basis with particular consideration given to vulnerability. A Resettlement Service links in to the Night Shelter, working intensively with service users who are willing and able to move on and access secure accommodation.In February 2013, a judgment in Anglesey ruled that Housing Benefit should not be paid for people staying in Night Shelters, which has resulted in Housing Benefit being withdrawn and funding for the Night Shelter in Rhyl being cut.The current contract for support ends on 31st October 2014, so is due for review February - May 2014. It is anticipated that the review will conclude that it is, to a large extent, ineligible for Supporting People funding in its current form due to there being limited opportunity within the current model to deliver structured housing-related support. Therefore, service provision for rough sleepers in Denbighshire needs to be remodelled to ensure long-term sustainability.We are conducting a joint consultation on the Night Shelter – to review the current service, and to consult on the proposal of new services, which will inform the development of the new contract from November 2014.Speculative NoticeDenbighshire County Council Supporting People would like to develop an innovative and sustainable model of support and accommodation to meet the needs of rough sleepers in Denbighshire. We invite organisations to put forward ideas for the support and accommodation for this service and welcome creative suggestions.For the purposes of this notice, rough sleepers can include those who are occasionally ‘sofa-surfing’ as well as sleeping on the streets, i.e. people who have no form of tenure. Evidence indicates that service users can be chaotic and present with multiple and/or long-term needs such as drug or alcohol misuse, poor mental or physical health, an offending background, and an unstable upbringing resulting in poor development of life skills. Service users may be entrenched in their lifestyle and may have made repeat presentations for support services for a number of years, and so, they are likely to be well known amongst services.We are looking to develop a service which will be focused on working with service users to achieve key outcomes to include:- Enabling the service user to move-on from the project successfully- Developing independent living skills- Building up a network of ongoing support with family and friends- Linking service users in with ongoing support appropriate to their needs, e.g. mental health services, substance misuse services- Reconnecting a service user with their local community who may have a duty towards them, if not local to Denbighshire- Maximise income received and budget outgoings- Registration and/or access to primary healthcare- Securing safe sustainable accommodationDenbighshire Supporting People would like the service to incorporate the No Second Night Out principles. No Second Night Out was primarily developed as an approach for those new to the streets but its principles can be applicable to all rough sleepers, including swift access to assessment and advice, and a single service offer coordinated by collaborative partnership working.It is anticipated that the project will support between 12-16 service users intensively, though not necessarily all accommodation-based. Due to the nature of the client group and the intensive support required, the service will need to include staffing 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.There is currently no accommodation formally identified for this project, so we welcome ideas for the provision of accommodation consisting of a single or multiple sites. Any site identified will be subject to assessment through the Denbighshire County Council Supported Housing Protocol. There is no stipulation on the location or type of accommodation but suggestions should demonstrate some awareness and consideration of the political sensitivity of locating an accommodation service for rough sleepers.The service will involve extensive collaborative working with a range of other partners, so whilst Denbighshire Supporting People are looking to develop a project for housing-related support, it is possible the service could be made more flexible by attracting funding from other sources.Submission of proposalsPlease note, this is not a formal invitation to tender or request for quotation.Please submit proposals via post or email by Friday 14th March 2014 to:Sophie Haworth-BoothSupporting PeopleDenbighshire County CouncilRussell HouseChurton RoadRhylLL18 3EBsophie.haworth-booth@denbighshire.gov.ukSuggestions in response to this speculative notice should consider the following details:- Outcomes for service users and the project as a whole, and how these could be achieved- Number of service users to be supported- Number of staff- Number, type and location of accommodation units to be provided- How risk and need of the client group could be managed- Staff structure including the availability of management time and support for the service- Local partnerships and agencies the service should engage withFollowing suggestions for this service, providers may be invited to engage in further discussions to develop the service. Denbighshire Supporting People will use any information to help develop the future service and this may result in a competitive tender process.NOTE: To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the Sell2Wales Web Site at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=6483.