Decision

Summary of
Decision

That
the Cabinet Member for Housing approves direct awards for the
following:
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of accommodation at Queen Mary & Chapter
Street for women with complex mental health needs, to
The
Riverside Group Limited (company number
IP030938)from 1st January 2022 to
31st December 2024 for the contract value of
£2,036,565.08.

 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of hostel accommodation at Edward Alsop Court for
men with complex needs requiring 24/7 support to Look Ahead Care
and Support Limited(company number IP21004R) from 1st
April 2021 to 31st March 2026 for the contract value of
£3,416,304.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of hostel accommodation at King George’s
hostel for men with complex needs requiring 24/7 support, to Single
Homeless Project (The) (company registration number 01741926) from
1st April 2023 to 31st March 2026 for the
contract value of £2,198,172.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of the move on and resettlement service,
to St Mungo Community Housing
Association (Company number: 8225808 Charity
number – 1149085) from 1st October 2021
to 31st March 2026 for the contract value of
£3,237,156.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of women’s safe space service,
to St Mungo Community Housing
Association (Company number: 8225808 Charity
number – 1149085) from 1st October 2021
to 31st March 2025 for the contract value of
£2,292,175.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of assessment and reconnection services at Harrow
Road, to St Mungo Community Housing
Association (Company number: 8225808 Charity number –
1149085) from 1st April 2020 to 31st March 2026
for the contract value of £4,277,437.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for the provision of an assessment centre at Passage House,
to Passage 2000 (Company number 03885593, Charity
number –1079764)  from
1st April 2020 to 31st March 2026 for
the contract value of £4,630,089.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for Housing First provision, to St Mungo Community
Housing Association (Company number: 8225808 Charity
number – 1149085)from 1st April 2022 to
31st March 2026 for the contract value of
£2,404,554.
 

·      
Award of a contract
for accommodation at Dean Court and London Hotel, from AA
Accommodation Services Limited (trading variously as Primus
Properties, Dean Court Hotel and The London Hotel) (company number
11688672) from 1st September 2022 (the service at London
Hotel to commence on 1st September
2023) to 31st March 2025 for the
contract value of £2,439,391 (inclusive of VAT as VAT is
applicable to these services).
 

·        
Award of a contract
for accommodation at St Giles Hotel, from St Giles Hotel Ltd
(company number 02954321)from 1st April 2022 to
31st March 2025 for the contract value of
£4,562,056 (inclusive of VAT as VAT is applicable to these
services).
 

·        
Award of a contract
for security and concierge services from Critico Security (LDN) Ltd
(company registration number 11842015) from 1st April
2022 to 31st March 2025 for the contract value of
£1,667,194.
 

·        
Award of a contract
for complex needs to Church Army (company registration number
00037169) from 1 April 2018 to 31st March 2025 for the
contract value of £1,810,000. 
 
Reasons for decision
The recommendations are
to directly award contracts until March 2025, with a number of accommodation-based services operating
to March 2026, with the option to terminate on six months’
notice (3 months’ notice for harrow road) ending no earlier
than 31 March 2025. These contract awards are to ensure all
services currently delivered under implied terms, are regularised
with a signed contract in place. This is to ensure transparency and
contractual agreement on the delivery of the service specification,
payment terms and terms and conditions of service.

 
The recommended contract
duration aligns to the current 3-year rough sleeping initiative
(RSI) grant funded settlement from the department of levelling up,
housing and communities (DLUHC) and crucially allows time for the
development of a commissioning plan. This plan will be co-designed
with the voluntary and community sector and users by experience,
informed by the Westminster Housing Commission’s
recommendations and linked to the homelessness and rough sleeping
strategy and will set the future commissioning intentions, models
of delivery and opportunities for partnership working. The
commissioning plan will inform a programme of retendering during
2024, with new service provision commencing from April 2025
onwards.
 
Accommodation based
services having contracts in place until 31 March 26 with a break
clause at 31 March 25, will allow for a
rolling programme of retendering. It allows for accommodation based services to have a co-terminus
end date to enable recommissioning and also recognises the need to
have longer mobilisation periods for accommodation-based services.
An asset review will be undertaken to look at the different types
of accommodation based supported accommodation in the borough and
how this can be recommissioned going forward. It is not feasible to
in-source these services for the period remaining before the
council goes out to tender.
 
Continuity of service
provision during this period of commissioning design, engagement
and then retendering is vital for this vulnerable cohort of service
users, without which they may experience homelessness and increased
vulnerability.