Somewhere Safe to Stay

This contract is for Somewhere Safe to Stay (SSTS) beds. The purpose of this contract is to ensure that single people in County Durham who are rough sleeping have an option of immediate access accommodation, along with a tailored and holistic approach to meeting the support needs of the individual.

The contract will provide a total of ten ‘somewhere safe to stay’ (ssts) bed spaces. Somewhere safe to stay provides short term accommodation (up to 7 days) with assessments and support for rough sleepers who are not owed statutory homeless duties or found in priority need. Providers will need to support service users in sourcing move on accommodation in liaison with Durham County Council’s Rough Sleeper Team. Somewhere safe to stay is provided under Rough Sleeper Initiative Fund (RSI).

One provider could provide all ten bedspaces to fulfil the whole contract, however to ensure a prompt mobilisation and seamless transition of service users from the providers of the existing contracts, we would consider splitting the contract into the following two ‘lots’: -

Lot 1

Lot 1 will provide 5 bedspaces in total for rough sleepers with complex support needs, of which: -
• 3 bedspaces will be for complex single male rough sleepers – these bedspaces must be within one building/project and be staffed 24/7, whilst being accessible out of normal working hours. The bedspaces would ideally be self-contained with cooking and bathing facilities, however shared/communal facilities will also be considered.
• 2 bedspaces will be for complex single female rough sleepers - these bedspaces must be within one building/project and be staffed 24/7, whilst being accessible out of normal working hours, dispersed properties may be considered if staff are available 24/7. The bedspaces would ideally be self-contained with cooking and bathing facilities, however shared/communal facilities will also be considered.

Lot 2

• 5 dispersed units distributed evenly across Durham County, for female or male single rough sleepers. Flexibility to accommodate those with support needs from low to high. Direct access to the properties 24/7 with keypad entry. One of the dispersed properties should be suitable for wheelchair users.

The provider will support service users through early assessment and intervention, providing robust support and effective housing options to reduce repeat rough sleeping and homelessness and offering preventative support. The provider will work with Durham’s Rough Sleeper Team to support service users to move into longer term accommodation suitable for their needs.