Provision of Victim Support Services

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire invites tenders for the provision of Victim Support Services across Warwickshire. The PCC seeks to commission experienced providers to deliver high-quality, accessible and specialist support services for victims and survivors of crime including family members and friends where appropriate, enabling individuals to cope with and recover from the impact of crime, access appropriate support and exercise their rights under the Victims' Code.

Services will contribute to the PCC's wider priorities of supporting victims and survivors, protecting vulnerable people, improving access to justice, reducing violence against women and girls, reducing inequalities in access to support and improving wellbeing and recovery outcomes. The requirement is divided into four lots: • Lot 1 – Multi Crime Victim Service • Lot 2 – Sexual Violence Support Service • Lot 3 – Child Exploitation Support Service • Lot 4 – Slavery and Exploitation Support Service Bidders may tender for a single lot or multiple lots.

Across the four lots, the PCC is seeking services that provide appropriate specialist support according to the needs and circumstances of victims and survivors. Services will be expected to provide equitable access to support across Warwickshire, manage demand, capacity and risk effectively, and work collaboratively with relevant statutory, criminal justice, health, safeguarding and voluntary and community sector partners.

The successful provider(s) will be expected to have relevant experience and expertise appropriate to the lot(s) for which they tender and to provide suitably skilled, trained and resilient workforces. The contracts will be awarded for an initial period of three (3) years, commencing 1 April 2027, with an option to extend for up to a further two (2) years, subject to funding availability.

Funding is allocated separately to each lot and is subject to the applicable funding terms and conditions. Suppliers should note that some funding streams are confirmed for limited periods only and funding levels may change during the contract period.

Any underspent funding must be returned to the Authority and/or relevant funding body in accordance with the applicable funding conditions. Full details of the funding arrangements for each lot are contained within the procurement documents.

Contract values provided are indicative and dependent on VAT status of successful bidder(s). How to Register Full details of the service requirements, procurement process, conditions of participation, evaluation methodology, specification and contract terms and conditions and identified risks are contained within the procurement documents on the In-tend Bluelight portal https://sell2.in-tend.co.uk/blpd/home Please see Submission section below on how to register and respond.

Please note that if you previously registered for the Preliminary Market Engagement, your details will not have been carried over and you will need to express your interest again for this tender on the In-tend portal. This procurement is being conducted using a competitive flexible procedure for the award of above-threshold Light Touch Contracts under the Procurement Act 2023.

Preliminary market engagement has been carried out in relation to this procurement. The presentation slides and Q&A from the preliminary market engagement have been made available in the tender pack on In-tend for information purposes only.

Where there is any conflict between the preliminary market engagement materials and the tender documents, the tender documents shall prevail. The Authority reserves the right to amend the procurement timetable or process where permitted by law, make a future direct award where permitted, manage conflicts of interest in accordance with applicable requirements and its governance procedures, and not to award a contract as a result of this procurement exercise.

The Authority reserves the right to award a contract directly under Schedule 5, paragraph 8 of the Procurement Act 2023 if the competitive procedure does not result in an acceptable tender. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced Provider to deliver a county-wide General Multi-Crime Victim Support Service.

This Service shall provide a free, effective, trauma-informed and person-centred response for victims and survivors of crime. The Service will act as the principal gateway into victim support services within Warwickshire and provide high-quality support designed to help victims cope with, and recover from, the impact of crime and the harm they have experienced.

The Service shall provide: • Initial advice and support; • Triage assessment and identification of need; • Practical and emotional support; • Information, guidance and advocacy; • Support with the completion of Victim Personal Statements; • Liaison with Witness Care services; • Signposting and referral into Restorative Justice processes where appropriate; • Managed handover, subject to consent, into specialist support services including domestic abuse, sexual violence, mental health and other relevant provision. The Service shall also be flexible in supporting wider family members, carers, partners and other significant individuals affected by a victim's experience of crime where such support contributes towards recovery and positive outcomes.

The Service shall operate across Warwickshire as part of a multi-agency approach to supporting victims of crime and shall accept referrals from Warwickshire Police, partner agencies and direct self-referrals. The Provider will be expected to demonstrate good levels of awareness and understanding of the wider victim support landscape within Warwickshire and ensure victims are effectively referred to services that best meet their needs.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced Provider or consortium to directly provide practical, emotional and therapeutic support and advocacy for victims and survivors of sexual violence or sexual abuse, using a trauma-informed approach in order to help them cope and recover. The Service will principally support children and young people aged 5 to 17 years and adults aged 18 years and over, with additional transition support provided to those aged 18 to 25 years where this is necessary and beneficial, subject to their consent.

The Service will also be flexible to provide support, where needed, to wider family members, partners and other key people in the life of a victim or survivor. The provision of an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service in Warwickshire is essential to ensure that victims and survivors of sexual violence receive timely, specialist, trauma-informed support throughout their recovery journey and engagement with the criminal justice system.

ISVAs play a critical role in helping individuals understand their rights, access health, counselling and safeguarding services, manage risks, and navigate often complex legal processes. Evidence demonstrates that dedicated advocacy and support services improve victim wellbeing, increase engagement with investigations and prosecutions where appropriate, and help reduce the risk of victims disengaging from support or the justice process.

A locally commissioned ISVA service will ensure that Warwickshire residents, including those from underrepresented and vulnerable communities, have equitable access to independent, confidential support that promotes recovery, strengthens safety and contributes to wider objectives relating to reducing violence against women and girls, and improving outcomes for victims of sexual violence. The Service will operate across Warwickshire as part of a multi-agency response to sexual violence and abuse and will accept referrals from partner organisations, self-referrals, parental or carer referrals where appropriate, and referrals through multi-agency case allocation arrangements.

Lot 2 Year 1 funding includes multiple streams that may not be available in full or in part for the duration of the contract, the documents in the tender pack provide more detail. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Warwickshire (the Commissioner) is seeking to appoint a suitably experienced provider or consortium to directly support children and young people who are vulnerable to exploitation.

The service aims to reduce risk, strengthen protective factors, improve resilience, and prevent escalation into child criminal exploitation (CCE), child sexual exploitation (CSE), county lines involvement, trafficking, online exploitation, and other forms of extra-familial harm. The service will adopt a trauma-informed, child-centred, and strengths-based approach, working collaboratively with children, families, schools, communities, and partner agencies.

Lot 3 Year 1 funding is from multiple streams that may not be available in full or in part for the contract duration, the documents in the tender pack provide more detail. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire seeks to re-commission a Modern Slavery Victim Advocacy and Support Service delivering a trauma-informed, victim and survivor centred response to adults experiencing, or at risk of, modern slavery, human trafficking and exploitation.

The service will provide independent advocacy, practical support, emotional support, tactical advice, awareness raising and partnership engagement whilst contributing to the county's wider response to exploitation. The commissioned provider will take a 4P approach to service delivery with activities sitting under the pillars of Protect, Prepare, Pursue and Prevent.

The service must be delivered free of charge to service users and be flexible and responsive to emerging forms of exploitation and changing patterns of harm. Referrals will be taken from partner organisations, community organisations and from individuals who self-refer.

The service will contribute to improved understanding of local demand by identifying trends, recording emerging themes, sharing strategic insight, supporting intelligence development and identifying barriers to reporting and engagement. The successful provider will operate as a key partner within Warwickshire’s multi-agency response to modern slavery and exploitation, working collaboratively with police, local authorities, health services, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and regional anti-slavery networks. The provider will contribute to local partnership arrangements, including the Warwickshire Modern Slavery Steering Group and wider safeguarding partnerships and operational groups, helping to deliver a whole-system approach to addressing modern slavery and exploitation.