Services for Rough Sleepers in Bristol

To submit an Expression of Interest please complete the attached document and submit it through the messaging function on ProContract.

Background

We are seeking to engage with the market concerning the approach we are taking to recommission our full range of services for people who are rough sleeping in Bristol. The aim of this process is to put in place services that:
• create a more person centred approach;
• develop the provider market;
• create flexibility within contracts to cover for potential uncertainty on funding availability beyond current MHCLG funding round;
• new rough sleeping contracts to be in place by October 2020.


What are we seeking to achieve through this PIN notice

To encourage a wider range of organisations to engage with this commissioning process and give advance notice to enable organisations to prepare to bid for the proposed lots or frameworks. As part of this process we are asking providers to give us an indication of which lots/or frameworks they may be interested in to gauge the market and the level of interest in our approach.

Current options to be consulted on

We are proposing to create two main rough sleeper services. The intention is to have these in place for 1st October 2020, and we are aiming to develop framework agreements/contracts for the other two key service areas by April 2021. We are following a ‘four quadrant’ approach (reflecting the diagram above) and are suggesting:

Two main contracts:
• one focussing on the new to the street/prevention work;
• An ‘Outreach’ service focussed mainly on an identified client group of longer term rough sleepers and returners.

Two additional frameworks/contracts:
• a framework agreement / smaller contract focussed on developing & supporting more move on accommodation options; and
• a framework agreement for ongoing resettlement support /navigation.

The intention is that the framework agreements would also enable selected providers to respond more easily to future opportunities (e.g. from funding opportunities through MHCLG) where tight bidding deadlines have been imposed.

We are keen to develop the range of organisations, and skills and expertise in working with these client groups – and that is reflected in the key areas set out below, for testing during the consultation phases.
Key areas we are looking to test in the consultation (mid-December 2019 to mid-January 2020)

We have had a number of conversations with providers and other stakeholders over the last 4-6 weeks and done some pre-consultation work with people using services and front line staff to help shape our proposals.

• Person centred approach and navigators (how could it work when people are often moving from street through accommodation and support and on into settled accommodation?).
• The concept of two main contracts - and a proposal that any single bidder can only be awarded one of these lots/contracts. The aspiration here is to create a more diverse provider market.
• We are seeking to introduce the concept of a housing access specific contract/framework – to increase the supply of both shelters, and settled accommodation options.
• We want to understand better how we can ensure collaboration and system leadership with different lots.
• Peer mentoring, how is this achieved in a coordinated way? We don’t feel we have a successful model for delivering this at the moment.