Support to Independence Service at Heather Court

This procurement is being conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The procurement is subject to the light-touch regime under Section 7 Social and Other Specific Services. Under Regulation 76 the Council is free to establish a procedure, provided that procedure is sufficient to ensure compliance with the principles of transparency and equal treatment of economic operators (service providers).

Heather Court is owned by Look Ahead Care and Support (Look Ahead). It comprises 15 self-contained units with onsite facilities for support staff. Placements at Heather Court are via referral (both from Havering's Leaving Care Team and external sources such as self-referral and other housing providers) discussed at monthly panel meetings.

Heather Court provides a valuable resource to support young people to achieve full independence in Havering and is an important element of the wider portfolio of options for providing young people with supported accommodation.

Havering has a need for supported accommodation for young people who are leaving care, at risk, offending or at risk of offending or misusing substances. Equally, young people leaving the family home after irretrievable family breakdown or abusive situations have needs of supported accommodation within Havering.

Heather Court remains strategically relevant for the Council because it provides a valuable resource where young people can be supported to achieve full independence. LB Havering seeks to retain this supported housing scheme as part of the wider portfolio of options for young people in Havering. The building, not directly a part of this contract, is still a valuable resource for the Council and this cohort of young people.

Young people, with exception of those leaving care, are not given any priority through housing lists to socially rented properties and the private sector is largely closed to them through lack of deposit, mistrust by landlords and general affordability criteria. Equally, many young people do not just require a housing solution but need support to help get their lives back on track.

Heather Court accommodates young people aged 16 (subject to guarantor agreement) to 25 years of age - the majority of current residents/service users are young people leaving care or young people at risk and are aged 21 or under and have a mix of capabilities. The support service is able to address a percentage of young people at any one time with relatively complex needs such as substance misuse, chaotic lifestyles and/or issues around offending or risk of offending. Experience suggests the specific mix of individual tenants at any given time can have a significant impact on the day to day management of the overall scheme.

Please see Section 5. Additional information for description continued

Additional information: Description continued:

Residents at Heather Court are supported to stay safe and to achieve their desired outcomes including gaining the necessary experience and skills required to move on to and be able to manage themselves in independent accommodation. To be eligible for this service, individuals must have an identified need for housing related support services and would benefit from this service.

Service

This service is a support only service covering young people, young people subject to leaving care and vulnerable young adults and therefore does not meet the same specifications contained within the Council's existing contracts or dynamic purchasing systems, meaning we cannot use existing routes of procurement/contracting to meet the needs of service users.

Havering Council wishes to secure a new service that can deliver independence promoting support to enable vulnerable young people and adults in Havering to gain the level of skills needed to move on to independent accommodation. Havering Council will therefore be seeking suitably experienced organisations to bid for this contract. Bidders will be required to demonstrate their experience and ability to deliver an independence promoting service within the tender process.

The key issues for managing this procurement will be:

a) Market engagement and interest from organisations to bid for the contract. b) Ensuring the new service has sufficient financial resources to deliver its objectives whilst remaining good value for money for the Council. c) Ensuring the service is aligned with the Council's strategic and corporate priorities. d) Ensuring the service works in close partnership with housing, children's and adult social care.