Agenda item

Report of the Director of Adults and Health. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Wellbeing.

To vary and extend the Housing Related Support contract for Domestic Abuse as follows:

-       Floating Support - from 31 March 2022 to 31 January 2023.

-       Refuge Provision - from 31 March 2022 to 31 January 2024

The Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-Being introduced the report which sought agreement to implement Contract Standing Order 10.02.1b, to vary and extend the current contract for the Domestic Abuse Refuge and Floating Support Services, provided on the Council’s behalf by Solace Women’s Aid.

The Cabinet Member highlighted that preventing violence against women and girls was a key priority the new statutory duties contained in the Domestic Abuse Act (2021) required a refreshed and expanded response to the supported housing and specialist floating support services available to victim-survivors of domestic abuse. The contract provided the opportunity to meet these requirements.

In response to a question from Cllr Barnes,

-       There was increasing funding in the budget to increase support for women to ensure the Council had the right services in the right places as part of the review and service delivery. In the context of the new requirement of the Act, the Council would make use of the physical spaces and available capital to ensure women do access services in the borough.

-       The Director for Adults and Health added that the Council were very committed to the new duties and increasing provision. The service was also developing provision and working in tandem with victims themselves to make sure that the developed provisions were person centred and identify and meet individuals required support.

RESOLVED

1.          To approve the variation and extension of the current contracts for domestic abuse services, held by Solace Women’s Aid, as allowed under Contract Standing Order 10.02.1b as follows:

-    Floating Support - from 1 April 2022 to 31 January 2023 at cost of £109,269.04.

-    Refuge Provision - from 1 April 2022 to 31 January 2024 at cost of £157,860.31

2.To approve that the aggregated value of the full contract period is as follows:

-    Floating Support - from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2023 (2 years 6 months) will be £351,642.

-    Refuge Provision – from 1 August 2020 to 31 January 2024 (3 years 6 months) will be £308,206.

-    Total value £659,847

3. To agree that the funding for this extension will be from the Council’s Housing Related Support general fund budget, in Adults and Health.

4. To note that a 5% contract value uplift has been negotiated with Solace Women’s Aid for the duration of the variation and extension period. This has been agreed in acknowledgement of increased staff costs since contract commencement.

Reasons for decision

The current contract with Solace Women’s Aid has 2 services:

1)    A 60-unit floating support service which is ending on 31 March 2022 and there is currently no option to extend.

2)    A 15-unit refuge provision which ends on 31 March 2022. There is an option to extend for one year until 31March 2023.

It is in residents and the Council’s overall interest to continue to provide these much-needed domestic abuse services in Haringey. An estimated 3 in 10 women will experience domestic abuse at some time in their lives; in Haringey over 3,000 women are currently experiencing domestic violence and over 20,000 women are living with the legacy of past abuse.

The Domestic Abuse Act (2021) places new duties on local authorities to provide ‘safe accommodation’ and support to victims of domestic abuse. The Council is currently developing new ‘safe accommodation’ in the borough to fulfil these duties. As such, an extension of the current contracts will allow the Council’s Housing-Related Support Team adequate time to fulfil these duties and then to review and refresh all contracts and services needed to address domestic abuse going forward.

A contract variation and extension will give sufficient time to explore sourcing models, service delivery pathways and then, if required, to carry out a tender process for new services.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing. This option was discounted as the Council has a statutory duty to provide safe accommodation and support to survivors of domestic abuse; refuge provision is one of the key services that fulfil this duty and floating support is a key preventative response.

In-house delivery of the provision was considered and was found not to be feasible at this time; there is not currently an established approach or delivery model for this type of specialist service within the Council. This will be explored again during the contract extension period, as part of refreshing the sourcing and delivery model for domestic abuse services.

Consideration was given to the completion of a procurement exercise via an open tender process. However, this option was discounted because the Council is currently developing new services which will impact on strategy, commissioning, and delivery approaches from 2024. It is therefore not considered an effective use of available resources to procure a new service for such a short period of time.