Housing Support Service for Young People

The London Borough of Sutton intends to commission a housing support service for homeless young people, Looked After Children and Care Leavers.

The service will assist Sutton to discharge its legal responsibilities to:

• Homeless young people aged 16 & 17 years
• Looked After Children and
• Care Leavers.

The service will provide short term housing support to 39 units of supported accommodation across 9 social housing properties in the borough and resettlement for residents who move on to independent accommodation.

The Provider will have the additional responsibility for carrying out housing management to furnished supported accommodation and to provide a flexible out of hours security concierge-type service. These additional services will be funded through a Housing Benefit eligible rent and not the housing support contract.

Following an increase in the number of young people in need of supported accommodation and the predicted increase in demand, the current service requires remodelling to make best use of available properties, procure additional supported accommodation that can be used by young people and provide a planned and seamless journey towards independent living.

To ensure that Looked After Children (aged 16 to 25 years), Care Leavers (up to age 25 years) and homeless young people (age 16-18) receive a well-planned service that leads to independence, this new service will be aligned with the Semi-Independent Accommodation Service to develop appropriate and effective pathways towards independence.

The service must be inclusive, balancing needs and managing associated risks of:

• Young people who are vulnerable due to age, immaturity, past experiences, emerging mental illness, substance misuse and/or vulnerability to sexual exploitation/abuse.
• Young people that present with challenging behaviour related to their past experiences, mental health and/or current substance misuse and/or anger management and/or offending
• Residents who may be both vulnerable and present a risk to others.