2122-0476 Residential Care Service for Older Men with Alcohol Misuse and Mental Health Care Needs

<p>Islington Council invites suitable expressions of interest from suppliers for the above-named contract to provide a specialist residential care service for adults with mental health and alcohol dependency needs. Current status / Background Islington Council is ambitious about commissioning high quality residential care home provision to meet the needs of residents who cannot remain in their own homes or in other accommodation-based services. The council is keen to work with providers that offer high quality, personalised, enabling care and support. Our aim is that residential care homes are well-connected, at the heart of communities, active contributors to social value, and offer exciting employment opportunities. Islington has the highest prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) in London. SMI prevalence has been increasing in recent years, and if the current trajectory continues, we expect to have just over 4,000 individuals with diagnosed SMI in Islington by 2030, an increase of over 100 individuals. The prevalence of alcohol dependence is also higher in Islington in comparison to the national rate across England; Islington has a rate of 17.9 per 1,000 of population compared to 13.7 for England. Islington Council currently funds, via a block contract arrangement, 12 beds for residential care home provision for older men with alcohol misuse and mental health care needs, from one supplier. The current contract in place is due to end on 31 March 2023. The council is seeking to re-procure this provision and expand provision to appropriately meet local demand and ensure that a new contract is in place by 1 April 2023. In addition to the 12 block beds, Islington currently spot purchases six additional beds, bringing the total number of beds purchased in borough to 18. There has consistently been a need for at least three additional beds above the current block of 12 beds since 2015 (i.e. at least 15 beds occupied in total since 2015). There is currently no other residential care provision in the borough specifically for adults with alcohol misuse and mental health care needs. In light of this, the council is seeking to increase the availability of in-borough commissioned provision through this procurement to ensure that: • There is a reduction in the number of spot placements, which will secure placements for local people against competing demand from other boroughs, this should not create any voids. • Residents are enabled to stay close to home, their loved ones, and professional support. • Residents are provided with proactive and personalised support in a community setting, equipping them with the skills to reduce a decline in their health and to live healthier lives for longer. • Residents are proactively supported to gain the skills necessary to live more independently and/or move to less intensive support, where possible, thereby minimising the time spent living in a residential care setting. • Residents can benefit from the well-established Islington care home support infrastructure. • Spending on in-borough placements supports in-borough employment opportunities and delivery of social value measures from which residents can benefit. The service to be procured will be part of the wider mental health supported accommodation offer in the borough, which includes residential care (24/7 staff and personal care), high support (24/7 support staff) and medium support (support staff onsite every week day). In addition to the contract being procured, Islington Council currently commissions the following block purchased places within the mental health accommodation pathway: • 24 residential care places • 159 supported housing places The requirement The Council is seeking to procure a residential care service for men over the age of 45 with a significant history of alcohol misuse and serious mental illness. Many of the residents in the current commissioned service have cognitive impairments related to long-term alcohol dependency in addition to personal care needs. In terms of the Care Act, their primary need for care and support relates to alcohol use and mental health. Some residents within the service may move from residential care to a less intensive accommodation setting within the community as they recover. However, the majority of residents in this service will require longer-term residential care due to deteriorating cognitive functioning and may not make the transition to more independent living. Currently on average one resident is stepped down from the service per annum. The successful provider will be required to provide suitable premises from which the service will be delivered. Further details on property requirements are outlined in the Service Specification. The residential care service will be based in the borough and rated at least ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Lots The council is seeking a single provider for this contract and therefore the tender is not structured into Lots. TUPE [Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations] Potential providers must be aware that TUPE may apply to this service. Further details will be available in the invitation to tender. Contract Period The contract period will be for 84 months from an estimated start date of 1 April 2023, subject to continuous review of the service against outcomes and standards of service provided. Contract Value The estimated total value of this contract is £4,461,881 over the maximum 84 months term of the contract. This is based on £637,412 per annum. Award criteria The contract will be awarded to the Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations. MEAT for this contract is quality 80% and cost 20%. Further details will be provided in the invitation to tender. Cost 20% Cost made up of: Total contract cost 15% Allocation of direct staff costs and indirect costs 5% Quality 80% Quality made up of: Service model and delivery 25% Social Value 20% Safeguarding and risk management 15% Workforce and staffing 10% Service user engagement and involvement 10% Tenderers should be aware that we reserve the right to hold site visits and presentations during the tender process. Site visits and presentations will be for verification/clarification purposes of the written submission. We reserve the right to interview leading bidders. Procurement Process This procurement will be conducted in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, under Chapter 3 Section 7 Social and Other Specific Services (known as the light touch regime). Under Regulation 76 the council is free to establish a procedure, provided that the procedure is sufficient to ensure compliance with the principles of transparency and equal treatment of economic operators (service providers). The procedure will be based on a one stage tender. As per the open procedure, any interested economic operator (service provider) may submit a tender in response to the advertisement. The council will reserve the right to award the contract on the basis of initial tenders without negotiation where this offers value for money. The council reserves the right to not award the contract if the received tenders do not offer value for money.</p>