Regional Care Cooperative - Supported Accommodation

1.0 Background The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Regional Care Cooperative (RCC) is developing a new, region wide approach to supported accommodation for children transitioning out of care aged 16 - 17 and care experienced young people. The RCC has been established to strengthen sufficiency, improve outcomes and develop a more ethical and purpose driven care market across the region. Ensuring young people leaving care have safe and supported environments as they prepare for adulthood. The supported accommodation market is comprised of a range of providers and commissioning arrangements, and service delivery approaches vary across localities. Engagement with young people and sector stakeholders, alongside data analysis and market insight, indicates that experiences of support and placement stability can be inconsistent and that young people often face challenges when moving into adulthood. The RCC has identified a benefit in a regionally coordinated approach that enables innovation in the sector to design a new supported accommodation and settling in model. This procurement forms part of the RCC's wider programme of work to support market sustainability and capacity, strengthen regional planning, and increase the availability of provision that meets current needs and outcomes for young people. The RCC intends to establish a multi provider open framework through a Competitive Flexible Procedure. The approach to commissioning and procurement designed thus far aims to ensure accessibility for all eligible providers. Further information and guidance regarding this pre procurement period is available through the Participation Pack also available through The Chest. 2.0 Summary of Requirements Successful framework providers commit to, and will be able to demonstrate, collaborative working principles throughout the procurement and delivery of the contract. This will include participation in the development of a codesigned collaboration agreement during the codesign phase, establishing early the shared expectations for joint working that will determine how the framework is delivered once in place. 3.0 Objectives and Outcomes The core offer and outcomes the framework will be in place to provide are to be defined through the codesign period as part of the PME. There has been a deliberate decision not to prescribe a specification at this stage. Instead, a service design and its objectives will emerge through meaningful coproduction with sector stakeholders. Some general principles include developing a supported accommodation and wider community base support function that:  Will meet demand and need in GM ensuring it aligns with sufficiency data and intelligence.  Is of a high quality, trauma responsive, relational, community rooted, and centred around young people's needs and aspirations.  Improves placement stability and avoids unplanned moves.  Supports preparation for adulthood, including life skills, tenancy readiness, EET engagement, financial capability and emotional wellbeing.  Develops new and improves existing alignment across partnerships and pathways.  Designs out the "cliff edge" of support at 18 and promotes long term interdependence.  Supports a diverse provider pool each contributing key elements of the service and gives flexibility to local authorities to call off provision that meets individual needs, local demand, and the evolving regulatory landscape. Registration to these events must be via the Chest Procurement platform https://www.the-chest.org.uk/ Reference DN812920