Purpose

Need to enter into a contract for the
Gloucestershire Sanctuary Scheme commencing 1st April 2026
Gloucester City Council (the Commissioner/the Authority) is acting
as the authorised representative on behalf of the six District
Councils in Gloucestershire (including Cheltenham Borough Council,
Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Stroud
District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council), Office of the Police
and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue
Service (GFRS, part of Gloucestershire County Council)

Decision

Contract Award

Reasons for the decision

Reasons for decision:
Gloucester City Council (the Commissioner/the Authority) is acting
as the authorised representative on behalf of the six District
Councils in Gloucestershire (including Cheltenham Borough Council,
Cotswold District Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Stroud
District Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council), Office of the Police
and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue
Service (GFRS, part of Gloucestershire County Council), to
commission a suitably qualified and experienced provider of home
security measures to deliver a Sanctuary Scheme service (the
Service(s)/Sanctuary Scheme).
The Service will ensure that those at risk of domestic abuse and
non-domestic abuse stalking in Gloucestershire are given support
and assistance to increase the security of their home. This will
enable victims and their children to re-build their lives safe from
abuse and harm. Gloucestershire Sanctuary Scheme will offer an
alternative option to fleeing to refuge (where safe and
appropriate) and will be accessible to all, regardless of
tenure.
One contract will be entered into with the Authorities. As the
authorised representative, Gloucester City Council will lead on the
procurement and contract management of Gloucestershire Sanctuary
Scheme, on behalf of the Gloucestershire Housing Partnership and
managed by the Housing Partnership Team, hosted by Gloucester City
Council.
Aside from an annual contribution from the OPCC, which is equitably
offset against District Council costs, the funding for this
contract operates as a ‘pay as you go’ to meet demand
for the scheme under Homelessness Prevention. The Council funds
this scheme through provision of the annual MHCLG Homelessness
Prevention Grant.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - to not recommission - if the
service is not recommissioned Gloucestershire would lack a
homelessness prevention response to domestic abuse, which would not
only mean that survivors remain at heightened risk of domestic
abuse (and hence heightened risk of harm or homicide), but an
increase in costs to local authorities in terms of providing
statutory responses.
Option 2 - For each authority to commission individually – if
each authority was to commission a sanctuary scheme individually
this would risk inconsistencies in service delivery and additional
burdens on referring agencies to navigate multiple service offers.
This could create a postcode lottery for survivors rather than a
consistent offer regardless of tenure, risk level or location
within the county. This would also not be in line with other
commissioning undertaken within the domestic abuse strategy that
delivers countywide domestic abuse services.