Market Engagement Event Homeless hostel provision

The Council is seeking delivery partners to support the remodelling of existing commissioned Homeless hostel provision in line with Doncaster's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2024 informed by an independent review of homelessness and rough sleeping undertaken by Imogen Blood Associates in 2019.

There are currently 2 homeless hostels in Doncaster with different landlords both accommodating people affected by homelessness and/or rough sleeping.

There is a mixture of needs across the hostels with a large proportion of individuals having complex needs.

On-site support at both hostels is commissioned and currently delivered by a single provider, Riverside Care and Support.

The commissioned provider's current contract also includes street outreach and floating/tenancy support.

Open House Plus has 26 units for single homeless with shared kitchen and bathrooms.

Wharf House has 30 units - 14 direct access units with shared facilities and 16 second stage units organised in clusters of four units with shared kitchens.

As outlined in the strategy, the direction of travel for Doncaster is to reduce the number of congregate units, development of an assessment hub and continue to increase the dispersed housing offer including an expansion of Doncaster's Housing First model.

The Council is working with the landlord of Open House Plus to facilitate a planned exit of the lease and consideration is being given to the future use of the facility.

Wharf House was developed in 2008 under the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme as a 'Place for Change'.

Consideration is being given to the future of this facility in terms of providing a more Psychologically Informed Environment along with transforming the delivery of on-site support to offer and an increased multi agency presence/delivery.

The current on-site support contract for both Open House Plus and Wharf House will come to an end in September 2022 following which the Council will be tendering for a support provider for its hostel provision.

Council invites interested providers (ideally with previous successful experience of hostel remodelling/transformation) to engage in a soft market testing exercise to help shape our commissioning intentions/service design.

Please indicate your interest by email to lisa.dernie@doncaster.gov.uk by 10th November 2021.

We would like meet with interested providers initially for no longer than an hour; please indicate your preference for a virtual meeting or in person.