Purpose

Approval to commission the provision of shared
accommodation with onsite support 24/7 with associated dispersed
units to be used as step down (but not exclusively) for 10 to 16
women

Content

11.1

Members considered a report of the Executive
Director, Neighbourhood Services seeking approval to commission a
5-year contract for a Supported Accommodation service for single
women who are homeless and have additional support needs. A service
was already in place, but the contract ends on the 30th of
September 2025. A new service needed to be commissioned to avoid a
gap in provision.

 

 

11.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Housing Policy
Committee approves the commission of a supported accommodation
service for single women who are homeless or at risk of rough
sleeping for a maximum value of £250,000 per annum over a
period of 5 years from an external provider.
 

 

 

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

The current contract ends on 30
September 2025. The service helps to meet statutory Housing duties
and contributes to meeting key national and local objectives to end
rough sleeping. It also addresses a range of wider needs. Failure
to recommission the contract would make it harder to place
vulnerable women in safe accommodation. This would put additional
pressure on Social Care, Domestic Abuse services and Homeless
services in the city, in addition to women experiencing poorer
outcomes.

 

 

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

11.4.1

Alternative Option 1:
 
Doing
nothing and continuing to pay for the service
Doing nothing would mean that
from 1st October 2025, the contract will not be compliant with
Standing Orders. The contractual arrangement would not be stable,
and it could end in an unplanned way, creating the risk of a gap in
service provision. If the service ended and where there was a
housing duty to support women, this may mean using hotel
accommodation or supported accommodation that has not been
commissioned and is exempt from housing benefit caps. This would
risk lower quality support and could cost the Council more money
than a commissioned service, because of Housing Benefit subsidy
loss.

 

 

11.4.2

Alternative Option 2:
 
Exiting from the
contract at the contract end date
 
This would potentially risk, lower quality
support and result in increased costs to the Council as described
in option 1. It would also undermine two key Council Objectives
Great neighbourhoods that people are happy to call home and outcome
three: People live in caring, engaged communities that value
diversity and support wellbeing.

 

 

11.4.3

Alternative Option 3:
 
Tender on the basis of stipulating that the support model
must be site[1]based provision with onsite support.
 
This would risk not being able to commission
replacement provision, due to
the markets availability and could lead to a
gap in service resulting in the
negative impacts as outlined in option 2.