Young People's Supported Accommodation Dynamic Purchasing System

This procurement is to develop a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) that will ensure quality and safe provision for Children in Care, Care Leavers, Children in Need, and Homeless 16 & 17-year olds. Individual call offs from the DPS will support young people to develop independent living skills and assist toward step down and their own accommodation.

The DPS will have providers with a range of accommodation and support packages who will bid for referrals put out by the Commissioning and Placements Team. The service is required to ensure that the local authority fulfils its duty towards Looked after Children and Children who are homeless by providing sufficient local accommodation and prevent the use of Bed and Breakfast provisions for 16 - 18 year olds.

There is a statutory duty to provide this provision. If we do not have appropriate safe accommodation for our young people, we will not be meeting the duty as a corporate parent and risk vulnerable young people being at risk of exploitation.

This is a re-tender of an existing framework; however we now intend to procure services by way of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), which will allow more flexibility and the potential for new Providers to join during the contract period. Each individual contract will be subject to a Secondary Competition process and with new providers able to join the DPS at any point, this should enable us to secure a price for services that is competitive and reflective of the market at that time.

In exceptional circumstances direct awards may be undertaken dependant on the needs of the young person. There is the option for Nottingham City Council Nottinghamshire County Council and Derbyshire County Council to use the DPS for Secondary Competitions and Direct Awards.

The DPS is scheduled to run until 31st March 2024. Applications are made in a series of rounds that open and close at the discretion of the Council.

The latest round closed on 30th November 2020. The DPS is currently paused to further applications to allow the Council sufficient time to review likely requirements over the coming months, specifically the numbers of potential placements required, the needs of our children and young people and ensure quality of the current provision to deliver as broad a range of accommodation and support as possible.

We hope to have completed this by Spring of 2021 and may re-open a new round for applications at that point. Further guidance for potential bidders may also be created and issued to ensure bidders are able to clearly assess their suitability for the contracts and understand the requirements and expectations of the Council, prior to commencing an application.

Additional information: The DPS is currently paused to further applications to allow the Council sufficient time to review likely requirements over the coming months, specifically the numbers of potential placements required, the needs of our children and young people and ensure quality of the current provision to deliver as broad a range of accommodation and support as possible. We hope to have completed this by Spring of 2021 and may re-open a new round for applications at that point. Further guidance for potential bidders may also be created and issued to ensure bidders are able to clearly assess their suitability for the contracts and understand the requirements and expectations of the Council, prior to commencing an application.