To approve a direct award of a contract for accommodation based support for care leavers and other vulnerable young people for the period to 1 November 2020.

The accommodation based support service provides 30 units of accommodation for young people with moderate support needs. The service is currently provided by the supported housing for young people project (SHYPP), part of WM Housing Group. It supports care leavers and young people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Plans to re-commission the service and regularise the contract position in 2018 were deferred, owing to multiple changes of national policy on supported housing, announced by the government. It is now clear that welfare spending on accommodation based services will not be transferred to the council but other changes to the way such services are funded are still being considered by the Government.

It is now proposed to award a contract to SHYPP (WM Housing) for the period ending 1 November 2020. This will help secure continuity of the service for vulnerable young people and provide for the preparation of an open procurement process in 2020. It will give an opportunity  for the council to work with the provider to strengthen and update the service. This will address the delivery model, referral arrangements, cost modelling and the demand and delivery model for Ross on Wye, to ensure the service is sustainable. It is proposed that the supported housing after care service (SHAC), operated by SHYPP for care leavers, which is currently funded separately by the council on a spot purchase basis should be incorporated into the new contract.

That:

(a)       a contract be awarded to WM Housing( SHYPP )for the accommodation based service for young people for a period of 31 months to 1 November 2020 with a maximum cost of £410k.

1.          The option of continuing to fund the service without awarding a contract. This option is not recommended as it would involve a potential breach of procurement regulations and the council’s own contract procedure rules. It would also limit the capacity of the council to assure appropriate quality of delivery of the service during the period.

2.          The option to proceed directly to a re-procurement of the service through a competitive tender process. This is not recommended as it would undermine opportunities to stabilise delivery of the service and ensure continuity of support for vulnerable young people. It is also likely that it would lead to reduced availability in the interim of accommodation for care leavers with support needs.

3.          The option to award a contract with SHYPP without incorporating the SHAC service for care leavers with low to moderate support needs. This is not recommended as it would prevent the co-ordinated and consistent managing of referrals and demand among care leavers and other young people. This includes important opportunities for young people to transition to living more independently.