Community Accommodation Services - Tier 3: Prior Information Notice

The MoJ wish to conduct early engagement with the market to further shape its requirements and assess the viability of the market delivering the provision of Community Accommodation Services - Tier 3 ("CAS-3"). This is a call to the market ahead of an upcoming competition with no commitment to tender at this time.

The CAS-3 project is intended to provide accommodation to Service Users ("SU") at risk of being homeless upon being released from prison or as part of their resettlement and moved-on from an Approved Premises (CAS-1), or period at a Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS) residence (CAS-2). The provision of accommodation for an individual SU is intended to be up to 84 days, providing provision from the first night of release. It is intended that the Supplier(s) will work with the SUs Community Offender Manager ("COM") to provide individualised low-level support to each SU to support them in maintaining the accommodation as well as helping the SU move-on into settled accommodation.

The Probation regions in scope for CAS-3 are: East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, Greater Manchester, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Funding has been allocated to support enrolment up to 31 March 2022, meaning that an individual could be accommodated up to 23 June 2022. Provision extending beyond this will be dependent on further funding agreements.

This call to the market is to: i) understand the capacity and appetite of the market to deliver the various elements of this service, ii) understand regional disparities which may affect the delivery of the service, and iii) receive feedback about any key operational considerations.

The MoJ will hold an online event going into further detail on the requirement on 11 February 2021. To register for this event, please email: [email protected]. Suppliers will also be requested to complete a questionnaire.

Additional information: The CAS-3 project is intended to provide accommodation to SUs at risk of being homeless upon being: i) released from prison, ii) moved-on from an Approved Premises (CAS-1), or iii) moved-on following a period at a Bail Accommodation and Support Service (BASS) residence (CAS-2). The project is anticipated to be launched in five probation regions.

There are three types of service that the MoJ welcomes information from suppliers about delivering either itself or in partnership with other suppliers: i) accommodation from the supplier directly, ii) accommodation brokering services ('letting agent' services), and iii) support services. The MoJ anticipates potential suppliers being able to accommodate each SU referred to them from the first night of release for up to 84 days per SU. However, this does not necessarily need to be the same placement for the full 12 weeks from night one.

The 'Vanguard' regions in scope for CAS-3 are: East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West, Greater Manchester, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The amount of SUs to be accommodated in each region range between 45 and 85 per month over 9 months.

The MoJ anticipates potential suppliers being able to guarantee enough accommodation available in the region(s) where they are delivering a service. Accordingly, The MoJ welcomes input from suppliers as to their capacity to deliver in and across these regions either entirely, in partnership with other providers, or under contracts with multiple providers. The MoJ is also interested in the market's views about the existence of and solutions to regional disparities in accommodation provision.

It is intended that the Supplier(s) will work with the SUs Community Offender Manager ("COM") to provide individualised low-level support to each SU to support them in maintaining the accommodation as well as helping the SU move-on into settled accommodation. SUs will be referred and managed by Probation COMs and suppliers will be expected to work closely with COMs to deliver the service.

The MoJ welcomes feedback from the market about how the types of commercial arrangements it is willing to bear. In particular, it welcomes feedback about referral, booking, pay, and performance mechanisms.

We are interested in suppliers informing us as to how potential suppliers can deliver Social Value in the performance of the contract. Examples include: Creating UK jobs, paying a living wage to employees and improving gender pay balance, supporting young people into apprenticeships, maximising equality & inclusion in the provision & operation of services, monitoring labour standards through the supply chain, and having effective & improved environmental performance.

It is yet to be decided how this provision shall be competed by the MoJ and feedback from the market will influence this decision.

The MoJ will hold an online event going into further detail on the requirement on 11 February 2021.