Issue - meetings

Background:

The report sought permission to commence the re-procurement of the Housing Related Support Services contract.

Exempt Appendix 1 set out the breakdown of the financial analysis in respect of the procurement project.

Reasons:

The recommendation is made on the basis that the previous Housing Related Support Services were commissioned in 2021 and ran from April 2022. The contract extension comes to conclusion on 31 March 2027, and to ensure that Medway is able to provide commissioned supported housing for vulnerable residents, a procurement exercise is required to commence in autumn 2026.

Medway has a range of supported housing which ranges from services which provide a statutory duty (housing related support for people fleeing domestic abuse, as per the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, to those who may not meet thresholds for homelessness or adult social care provision at point of entry into services but are deemed to be vulnerable and at risk of meeting thresholds if action is not taken to prevent escalation of need.

Should the contract end without further procurement activity, this would cause significant burden on Housing Services to provide alternative accommodation for those currently residing in supported accommodation. Loss of this service creates an ongoing additional barrier for single people moving out of temporary accommodation.