The Provision of Medway Assessment and Support Service

Medway Council wants a Medway Assessment and Support Service (MASS) to provide an intensive assessment service and support with available temporary accommodation provision for people experiencing rough sleeping and/or who have complex needs in Medway. The service will need to provide access to a space with facilities as laid out in Schedule 1, with targeted assessment and support to rough sleepers for a period of 1 to 2 weeks. With an accommodation option with basic provision for up to 5 people allowing for those being assessed to stay and for an additional 5 people who may be identified as requiring longer engagement/assessment/support. The overall aim is to impact positively on the number of rough sleepers on the streets of Medway who are not able to make use of widely available routes into services and/or accommodation, and who have not been able to access supported accommodation through the traditional routes.

The service must include methods of engaging people with complex and multiple needs who may be reluctant to accept help in getting to a single service offer within 1 to 2 weeks. This will require very robust engagement strategies from the provider, who will be expected to work in close partnership with other statutory and voluntary agencies as applicable.