Decision details

OD/21/20 Rough Sleeper Initiative

Decision Maker: Officer Decision

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Since 2018 the Council has benefitted from funding via the Government’s annual Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) which has enabled it, with partners, to produce various interventions to reduce Rough Sleeping. For the last three years bids for the RSI money have been co-produced with the Council’s advisors from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHC&LG). The process has been delayed this year and the MHC&LG originally guaranteed continued funding just for the first quarter of 2021/2022. A previous decision awarded individual contracts for quarter 1 to the total value of £108,490.82.

 

The bid to MHC&LG for the remaining 9 months of RSI 4 has now been successful. In total the RSI grant for 21/22 is £638,714. It has been decided to extend the individual contracts of the current providers of the various interventions so that they can continue for the remainder of 2021/2022.

Decision:

To extend the individual contracts of the current providers of the various interventions so that they can continue for the remainder of 2021/2022. The Interventions and the Contractors are listed below:

 

Intervention

Contract Values Quarter 2 to 4 of 2021/22

Procurement

1. One inreach worker (37 hours)

Ipswich Housing Action Group (IHAG)

£27,394.50

Procurement completed Feb 2020

2. Rough Sleeper Outreach- 56 hours per week (IHAG)

£38,151.75

Procurement completed Feb 2020

3. 2 STEP beds with in shared dormitory - converted to self-contained due to Covid restrictions

(Sanctuary Supported Living)

£19,473.75

Procurement completed Feb 2020

4. Short term emergency provision (STEP) 5 bed self contained accommodation at 138 foxhall Road

(Anglia Care Trust)

£48,378.75

Procurement completed Feb 2020

5. Short term emergency provision (STEP) 5 bed self contained accommodation at 119 Bramford Lane Road

(Anglia Care Trust)

£56,196.75

Procurement completed Feb 2020

6. Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust – provision of a specialist mental health practitioner ring fenced to working with rough sleepers

£43,778.44

Exemption from procurement agreed due to specialist provider. Funding is topped up by the CCG with a £26k grant.

7. Anglia Care Trust – 3 Emergency Direct Access to move rough sleepers off the streets quickly and enable assessment of support needs.

£15,472.50

Previously provided by Notting Hill Genesis in a dormitory style setting, Anglia Care Trust was the only provider willing to offer a replacement emergency bed service, we are looking for an exemption from procurement for financial year 2021/22 after which the provision will be reviewed for long term need.

8. Housing First Project extension – to continue the successful two-year project which supports up to 21 of the hardest to house clients in mainly IBC tenancies, Anglia Care Trust and Ipswich Housing Action Group both provide one full time worker.

IHAG - £27,568.50

ACT - £27,408.75

Funding is via RSI and the CCG, who is contributing £75k for 21/22.

IBC employs 1 FTE support worker and will hold the personal budget for 7 tenancy start up.

 

Reason:

 

To continue to reduce homelessness within the Borough.

 

The Councils Rough Sleeper Initiative partnership has been very successful in reducing homelessness in the Borough. In November 2017 there were 27 Rough Sleepers identified in the annual November count whilst in November 2020 this had reduced to 9. Furthermore, the Street Outreach Team usually identify between 0 and 5 Rough Sleepers on its daily ‘sweeps’ of the town.

 

Alternative options considered and why rejected:

The alternative option would be to decline the RSI grant for 2021/22, but this would effectively see the end of the project and the inevitable rise in the numbers of people sleeping rough.

Publication date: 01/07/2021

Date of decision: 28/06/2021

Accompanying Documents: