Accommodation-Based Support Service for Women at Risk of, or Fleeing Domestic Abuse

The Council is seeking to appoint a supplier to deliver a safe and secure 12-bedded refuge that will provide a place of safety for single women and women with families/children who have experienced, or who are at risk of, domestic abuse and/or harassment e.g. honour based violence, forced marriages. The service will aim to prevent homelessness, and to provide appropriate levels of housing-related support people to manage and maintain independent living. The support will be solution focussed, aimed at resolving issues and preventing crisis. This service is expected to provide a safe place of refuge for single women, and women with children, that is available for same day access 24 hours a day, appropriate to a range of support needs. The maximum financial envelope available to the Council to fund this procurement is £225,000.00 per annum. Service Aims and Objectives • The core aim of the service is to support and empower women to reduce the impact of domestic abuse in their lives, to make informed decisions, take control and access opportunities that promote independence and a future, free from abuse. • The successful party will work with the Commissioning team to effectively and efficiently achieve the following aims: • Provide refuge accommodation and housing related support to women and their children who are fleeing from or at risk of domestic abuse. • To offer both single women, and women with children a safe place to live, and to support service users through the provision of an inclusive, sensitive, non-judgmental and non-oppressive support service • Identify collaborative ways to work with women to raise their self-esteem and achieve their goals and, where required, to identify counselling support to help them to overcome the negative relationships experienced in their past. • To be culturally sensitive and flexible in its approach to dealing with referrals and deliver timely responses in order to meet the needs of the wide range of domestic abuse issues affecting the lives of women and their children referred to them. • To deliver the service in a manner that takes account of residents' racial and or religious background and respects individual dignity and privacy. • To deliver services which promote good practice, are compliant with all relevant government legislation and follow published guidance with regard to the implementation of national and local strategies • To deliver services which contribute to local implementation of national and local strategies • Develop partnerships with agencies and communities to make job opportunities easily accessible and to increase the potential of women living in the refuge • To provide expertise in the area of domestic abuse in order to provide support, information and guidance to partner agencies • Be proactive in identifying and applying for additional sources of funding to provide additionality to the services provided. The main objectives of the Service will be to; • To provide temporary accommodation and housing related support to enable service users of this domestic abuse service to manage in their accommodation and to enable them to live as independently and inclusively in the community as possible and to enjoy the highest possible quality of life • To work with each service user to develop a support plan and help them to achieve and review the targets contained in the plan • To promote realistic expectations around move-on from the service and support service users to consider a range of move-on options, including private sector accommodation • To promote greater independence for all users through practical assistance, emotional support and employment and skills training • Help women to rebuild their lives including helping them to access community facilities such as drug treatment services, counselling, legal and financial advice and services, etc • To provide a service informed by an awareness of the law and provision for mitigating against a range of harmful practices e.g. forced marriage, honour-based violence, female genital mutilation and faith-based violence • The service will assist women to access provisions for children as necessary including nursery and school places • The enhance the potential of service users to improve their self-advocacy skills, use local resources and take control of their lives. The provider will also seek to promote and facilitate effective service user involvement • To deliver the support programme in a flexible manner, so that it can manage the fluctuating support needs of service users