Single Homeless Prevention Service (RESID - 2324 - 030)

The London Borough of Brent (the Council) is seeking a Service Provider to deliver a Single Homeless Prevention Service (the Service) to prevent and relieve homelessness for single people and other households without dependent children, with low to moderate support needs, who currently fall below the threshold for major assistance by the Council either through the homelessness legislation or by provision of council funded supported housing.

Under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, the Council has a statutory duty to take "reasonable steps" to prevent or relieve homelessness for anyone at risk of homelessness within 56 days, regardless of their support needs. This includes single people and couples without children.

This cohort tend to have a range of low to medium vulnerabilities, ranging from issues with mental health, drug and alcohol abuse or being exoffenders. Dealing with single homeless households therefore requires a different, more tailored response than homeless families, the majority of whom have no vulnerabilities beyond the fact that are in housing need.

The Council intends to commission a single organisation or consortium to deliver services; the Service will need to respond innovatively and creatively by working in partnership with service users, housing, other agencies and key stakeholders in order to meet the needs of service users and to achieve positive outcomes.

As an outcomes based, payments by results service, payments will only be released based on successful outcomes, measured against three trigger points:

Completion of a Personal Housing Plan (PHP),

Prevention or Relief of homelessness achieved;

8. months' sustainment stage.

The contract is anticipated to start on 1 November 2023 for a period of 4 years (referrals will be made by the Council in the first 3 years).

We are looking for a track record of innovative partnership working, driven by the ambitious aim of preventing and relieving homelessness for single people in the borough. The chosen Provider will be able to show that it has achieved these targets by adopting a range of approaches.