Torbay Council Supporting People Team has made the following Contract Awards:

Decision: Contract Awarded to The Children’s Society.

This Service will begin on the 24 January 2012 and will be implemented through a partnership approach coordinated by Supporting People and Check Point. The contract to be issued is a two year contract with the option to extend for up to a further 2 years. The aim of the new Service will be to prevent homelessness amongst young people aged 16 and 17 through the provision of targeted interventions with young people, families and support networks.

Decision: Contract Awarded to Independent Futures

This service will start on the 21st February 2012 and will provide outreach and accommodation based support for vulnerable young people aged 16-24. The service will be implemented through a partnership approach between relevant partners, led by Supporting People and Independent Futures. The aim of the service is to support young people to achieve sustainable living outcomes so they have the skills to continue to live independently in the community.

Decision: Contract Awarded to Westcountry Housing

This service will start on the 21st February 2012 and will provide outreach and accommodation based support for young parents aged 16-24. The aim of the service is to support young parents to find suitable accommodation and to learn independent living and parenting skills so they can continue to live independently with their family in the community. The service will be implemented through a partnership approach between relevant partners, led by Supporting People and Westcountry.

Decision: No Contract Award made.

A tender will be advertised in late January to early February for the new service. The new service specification includes the provision of outreach support, emergency accommodation and supported accommodation. For further details please ensure you are registered on ProContract and contact the Supporting People Procurement Officer on 01803 208729.

Decision: Contract awarded to Sanctuary Carr-Gomm

This service will start on 21 February 2012. This service will provide a community outreach service to a range of clients. The service is a new development for Torbay as we have commissioned a service based on support hours, rather than units. This means that the service can work flexibly with clients to respond to their changing support needs.

For further information on these contract decisions please contact the Supporting People Team.

Torbay Supporting People Team and the Care to Community Team are currently working with Plymouth City Council to design a supported lodgings service for young people. This service will include provision of emergency and longer term accommodation for young people. The service will be out for tender in January or February. A training event is planned for Friday 27 January 2012. For further details please ensure you are registered on ProContract and contact Shelley Shaw, Service Development Officer for children, young people and families on 01803 208729.

To bid for the Families’ Homelessness Prevention or Supported Lodgings services you will need to be registered on ProContract.  Registration is free and can be completed through the Supplying the South West tendering portal: https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk/

Torbay Council has set up a Support, Care and Community Services Framework in Torbay as a list of approved providers of accommodation, care and support services. The purpose of this Framework is to improve the quality and range of services, bringing together funding and provision to meet individual needs, and provide more flexible services.

This Framework is being used to procure (select) as wide a range of services as possible to promote the independence and inclusion of vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

The evaluation process for the Support, Care and Community Services Framework has now been completed and places have been awarded. The list of organisations who have been awarded places on the Framework is in the Related Documents section below.

New services are now being procured from the Framework. People using services will continue to receive a service although their service provider may change and they will be fully supported through any changes in their service provision.