Floating Support (Non-accommodation based) - Homeless Prevention

Wirral Council wishes to commission a non-accommodation based (floating support) service that will deliver housing-related support to vulnerable people, aimed at preventing homelessness, and supporting households to manage and maintain independent living.

The service, which will need to respond innovatively and creatively in supporting people and by working in close partnership with Service Users, their family and/or carers and other professionals, will aim to help people maintain their independence and encourages people to settle back into the community and promotes self-reliance. The support will be solution focussed aimed at resolving issues and preventing crisis.

The service should, at a minimum, support 150 Service Users at any one time

Service Aims and Objectives

To work with the Commissioner to effectively and efficiently achieve the following aims and objectives:

• The reduction and prevention of homelessness, repeat homelessness and the use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation, temporary accommodation or reliance on more institutional forms of care.
• A reduction in the number of crisis presentations and hospital admissions.
• The provision of support to Service Users, to enable a more stable lifestyle and empower them to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to live independently and sustain accommodation on a long term basis.
• The provision of support to Service Users to acquire the necessary skills and confidence to manage their own affairs and financial wellbeing.
• To effectively engage and empower Service Users to recognise, understand and make changes to challenging behaviours and lifestyle choices.
• To assist in the reduction in incidences of anti-social and offending behaviour.
• To assist in reducing the risk of harm to individuals that may result from alcohol/substance misuse and use of new psychoactive substances.
• To assist Service Users to improve and encourage the development of skills and confidence to negotiate safe healthy relationships.
• To support Service Users to tackle issues affecting their physical, mental and sexual health and wellbeing by promotions of self-care and facilitating engagement with appropriate support services.
• To assist in the reduction of social exclusion and isolation, and to increase involvement and participation in employment, training, education, community activities or other meaningful activity.
• To ensure the quality of life for Service Users is maintained and / or improved and reflects what is important to each individual.
• To provide personal and emotional support to help overcome/address core issues/behaviours which lead to housing difficulty.
• In collaboration with the Housing Options and Homelessness Team and other relevant partner agencies, to assist Service Users to move on to appropriate accommodation including within the Private Rented Sector and ensure they have the skills to sustain their housing in a safe environment.
• To ensure Service Users understand how to self-refer for support should problems arise.
• To ensure all support services are coordinated in their support plan utilising a multi agency approach.
• To help Service Users develop their own recovery and crisis plans as needed especially when they are not open to secondary services.