Soft Market Engagement For Housing Support For Rough Sleepers With Drug & Alcohol Issues

To be Completed and Returned by no later than 12:00 hours on the 4th March 2024

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK) 'Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-27 ambition is 'to prevent and aim to end homelessness and rough sleeping in Kingston.' Realising this vision will require targeted services to be provided to the most vulnerable in the borough, which includes rough sleepers with drug and alcohol issues and those at risk of rough sleeping in Kingston.

In 2023, the Centre of Public Innovation (CPI) was commissioned by RBK to carry out a review of Housing Support for this cohort. The purpose of the review was to explore housing provision in Kingston for this cohort, key gaps and any opportunities for learning and potential development issues. One of the key findings was that there is a lack of supported housing for this cohort and that there is no specific pathway in place for rough sleepers with drug and alcohol issues.

Housing First has been identified as a key model to address the lack of provision for entrenched rough sleepers and this cohort may benefit from this type of accommodation provision. Housing First is being taken forward by RBK at this time. However, Housing First will not be appropriate for everyone as it is intended to address the needs of a small number of clients with challenging lives.

RBK is keen to explore additional opportunities to offer a mixed portfolio of housing options that align with the substance misuse recovery journey: pre-contemplative, engagement, abstinence/recovery, as outlined below:

Accommodation for active users but who are not well engaged in structured treatment. We estimate that the current demand for this provision is in the region of 28 people.

Accommodation for those actively engaged in treatment services and who are stable in treatment i.e. accessing prescribing interventions (where needed) where onsite support and treatment services are available. We estimate that current demand for this provision is in the region of 9 people.

Move-on abstinence-based accommodation for those who successfully complete treatment. We estimate that current demand for this provision is in the region of 6 people.

RBK is seeking to carry out a market intelligence exercise in relation to housing support and provision of accommodation for rough sleepers with drug and alcohol issues and those at risk of rough sleeping in Kingston. This exercise is not part of the procurement process, but is purely investigative in nature, giving potential providers the opportunity to express their views to potentially assist the Council in developing the service model defining specification principles and contract for the services.

This advert relates to a proposed scoping exercise only and is NOT a call for competition. Any contracts for services or supplies relating to this exercise may be subject to separate procurement processes in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended).