City Advice Service

1.1 The City of London Corporation (The City Corporation) is commissioning an Information and Advice Service (“The Service”). 1.2 The Service Provider (also referred to as Lead Provider) will provide a free, impartial and non-judgmental Information and Advice service to service users. The City is seeking proposals for 2 potential models of service, one of which will be commissioned, dependent upon funding being available. Throughout this specification, the term service user encompasses all the potential users within whichever option is commissioned. The options are: • OPTION 1 - CITY RESIDENTS AND HRA TENANTS ONLY (City residents and tenants living on City of London housing estates outside of the 'square mile’). • OPTION 2 - CITY RESIDENTS, HRA TENANTS AND WORKERS (as Option 1 but including City workers) 1.3 Should Option 1 be commissioned, or the service provider wishes to provide additional services, providers are encouraged to seek alternative funding mechanisms including through the City of London’s central grants programme and the Community infrastructure levy neighbourhood fund. 1.4 The City of London Corporation is re-commissioning the Service. The aim is to make the most effective use of resources, with a focus on early intervention and prevention, and includes duties from legislation including the Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014 and the Welfare Reform Act 2012. 1.5 The service will: • Deliver effective outcomes for service users who require information and advice • Maximise the potential for efficiency savings and ensure that the service can continue to demonstrate value for money whilst delivering outstanding outcomes for service users. • Deliver a service that meet the needs of The City Corporation’s diverse communities 1.6 This document describes the service to be provided by the Service Provider. Information is provided on the local service context, the required quality standards and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that will be used to monitor the service. 1.7 Different levels of information and advice will be required on a variety of levels including self help support (signposting service users to sources of information and guidance, providing webinars, online guided support) through to complex casework comprising multiple agencies. Although not expected to provide legal advice direct, the service would be expected to enable and facilitate the access to free legal advice and representation, including at Court hearings, welfare benefit appeal tribunals and employment tribunals. 1.8 Bids will be accepted from single organisations who can satisfy the requirements of the specification themselves, or from a Lead Provider who sub-contracts elements of the service to other specialist organisations. The City of London will contract with the Lead Provider. 1.9 Following a 3 month mobilisation period the service will be delivered for a three (3) year period beginning in November 2025, with option to extend for a further two periods each of 12 months after the initial contract term. 1.10 The Service will consist of four service components. The components are designed to link and work together and it is the responsibility of the Lead Provider to enable this. • Service Component 1 - Lead Provider Management function Coordinating and performance managing the other components, monitoring and evaluation, maintaining accreditation, and representing the service • Service Component 2 – Open access Information and Advice across multiple channels (Triage model) Open access Information and Advice across multiple channels (Triage model): Provision of initial contact and first step information and advice to clients across a range of channels, including but not limited to face-to-face surgeries, phone lines, website and self-service options. • Service Component 3 – Pro-active awareness raising and education Pro-active awareness raising and education including pro-active targeting of Service Users to promote and raise awareness of information and advice services available, supporting training and encouraging self–help to users including webinars and talks. • Service Component 4 - Specialist Advice / Casework This component includes areas where more intensive, specialist support is needed and case management is required including either multiple contacts with an advisor, or where the advisor takes action on behalf of the client to address the issue. This will potentially include representing a client in court and could include referrals to outside agencies or partners which would be at no cost to the client.