Purpose

It is proposed that

a) the contract for supported accommodation for young women (and their children) affected by domestic and sexual abuse is recommissioned with a start date of 1st April 2027 for a contract duration of 5 years plus two.

b) the contract for support for children affected by domestic abuse, delivered by Haven, is extended from the current end date of 30th September 2027 to the 31st March 2028 for reasons of commissioning capacity.

Decision

a)

The contract for supported accommodation for young women (and their children) affected by domestic and sexual abuse is recommissioned with a start date of 1st April 2027 for a contract duration of 5 years plus two.

b)

The contract for support for children affected by domestic abuse, delivered by Haven, is extended from the current end date of 30th September 2027 to the 31st March 2028 for reasons of commissioning capacity.

Reasons for the decision

Recommissioning the young women’s safe supported accommodation is necessary as it provides a vital resource for the city that is highly valued internally and by partners, and supports vulnerable young women to address several key needs: healthy relationships, good parenting, employment and training and independent living skills for rehousing.

Extending the Support for Children Affected by Domestic Abuse contract will give staff sufficient time and resources to effectively recommission both this and the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Contract, ensuring optimal outcomes for customers.

Taken together these proposals will enable the council to continue to support its commitments to tackle domestic abuse and support victims, effectively utilise its commissioning and procurement capacity and meet its legal obligations regarding fair and transparent commissioning and contracting processes.

Alternative options considered

Alternative Option 1:

Not to recommission the contract for supported accommodation for young women (and their children) affected by domestic and sexual abuse.

This option was rejected due to the high impact of the support provided which is partly funded through a government grant and is a cost-effective way to support vulnerable young women, around half of whom are mothers, to recover from abuse. Without this trauma informed support these young women would be less likely to be in education employment or training, more likely to stay in or enter into new unhealthy relationships, and some of the children would likely be removed from their mother’s care and looked after with costs for this falling to the Council.

Alternative Option 2:

Recommission two contracts: Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation (Adults) Contact and Domestic Abuse Children and Young People’s Support contracts, at the same time.

This option was rejected due to capacity issues as outlined above. Risk of consultation work needing to be reduced, process being less thorough and timescales slipping in relation to other work including statutory Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews.

Alternative Option 3:

Extend Safe Accommodation contract instead of Children’s Support contract.

This option was rejected as it will be less risky to extend the lower value contract.