Housing Related Support - Floating Support

In 2019, Essex County Council (ECC) commissioned the Floating Support Service, which provides a broad range of short and medium- term interventions to prevent homelessness and address other housing related needs. Operating a peripatetic model, the service delivers flexible, outreach support across the County; providing targeted, cost-effective interventions to vulnerable adults and their families, who are at imminent risk of losing their accommodation, or whom may be experiencing a period of crisis.

The service is aimed at people across a range of housing tenure, including those accommodated in social housing, owner-occupiers, private rented accommodation, as well as providing support to those who are homeless and require support with applying for accommodation.

Essex County Council are seeking a floating service that can provide:

1. Targeted floating support to individuals and/or families presenting with complex needs including, but not limited to, threatened homelessness, substance misuse, domestic abuse, offending, mental-ill- health, neuro diversity, physical/sensory impairment, financial hardship/exclusion, care leavers and refugees with access to public funds. Floating Support encompasses a broad range of activity.
2. For the purpose of this specification, Floating Support may include any intervention or assistance that enables individuals who are vulnerable, at risk of homelessness or are experiencing a period of crisis to manage and maintain their homes across all forms of tenure.
3. More generic and early interventions to a wider range of individuals and/or families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with less complex presenting issues, where earlier and less intensive interventions will prevent deterioration
4. The ability to flex provision to support the identified target groups to ensure opportunities to "step up" and step down" as and when appropriate.
5. Clear service discharge processes that promote a positive and sustainable outcome, but with the opportunity to re-engage with the service in the event of emergency or crisis
6. Support for those with lived experience to access peer support and volunteering opportunities (possibly in conjunction with other services) as well as the potential for Mutual Aid.

Support is time limited and targeted and aimed at enabling the individual to reach a point where support is no longer required. Support will be provided in partnership with other specialist services including, but not necessarily limited to, health, social care, criminal justice and other public/voluntary sector partners.

In relation to the information regarding the contracting authority within this notice, please be advised that the contracting authority is Essex County Council and any Successor Body meaning one or more entities which assumes any of the Council's functions (as applicable) as a result of Local Government Reform (LGR). Such successor body or bodies may be, without limitation, a local authority, a combined authority, a combined county authority, a strategic authority or any other status determined pursuant to the Devolution and LGR Legislation.