Southampton Integrated Advocacy Services

Southampton City Council is seeking bids from relevant providers for the provision an integrated advocacy service for adults and children in Southampton. The service will include the provision of statutory advocacy and non-statutory advocacy for both adults, children and young people, besides an Independent Visitor (IV) service for Children Looked After (CLA) and - subject to the Council exercising options to modify the contract - additional services relating to Return Home Interviews for Children Looked After (CLA) and advocacy services relating to the implementation of Liberty Protection Safeguards.

The service will commence from 1st April 2023. The anticipated initial contract term will be for 3 years with the Council having the option to extend the contract by up to 2 periods, each of up to 12 months, so that the maximum contract length will be 5 years.

Tenderers should note that service provision will only be required from 1st July 2023 onwards in regard to the following specification requirements:

• The Children Looked After Advocacy provision.
• The Independent Visitor (IV) service for Children Looked After.

And that;

Service provision will not be required before 1st July 2023, and thereafter may be required, in regard to the following specification requirements:

• Spot purchase Return Home Interviews services required for Children Looked After.

This procurement will follow the Open type procedure and will be conducted in compliance with The Public Contracts Regulations 74-77, 2015, under the Light Touch Regime.

For delivery of the specification requirements (with the exception of Return Home Interviews) suppliers will be required to bid against an available funding resource of:

£386,863 for the first year of the initial contract term

£407,971 per annum for each of the remaining 2 years of the initial contract period.

£407,971 per annum for any periods of contract extension (i.e., up to a maximum of two periods of extension, each of 12 months' duration).

In meeting additional obligations arising under the implementation of Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS), as introduced by the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019, which date of implementation has yet to be confirmed, the Council may exercise the option to modify the contract to increase its value by up to a further £165,000 per annum. The Council may choose to modify the contract by all, part, or none of this amount.

In meeting additional obligations in respect to the provision of Return Home interviews the Council may exercise the option to modify the contract to increase its value by up to £30,000 per annum.

This procurement therefore provides for a maximum estimated contract value of £2,986,247 in total.

Additional information: The range of statutory advocacy provision to be delivered includes the following:

• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) as determined by the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) - including the provision of IMHA within private psychiatric facilities within the boundaries of Southampton City Council
• Independent Mental Capacity Act Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) IMCA, as determined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and IMCA for Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) as introduced by the Mental Capacity Amendment Act 2019
• Paid Relevant Person's Representative (Paid RPR) as determined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).
• Care Act 2014 Advocacy as determined by the Care Act 2014
• Children's Statutory Advocacy: Advocacy to support those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) under the Children and Families Act (2014).
• Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy (IHCAS).
• CLA (Children Looked After) Advocacy in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and The Adoption and Children Act 2002 s.26A.
• Provision of Return Home Interviews service for Children Looked After (CLA).

The range of non-statutory advocacy provision to be delivered includes the following:

• Supporting individuals with their decision-making concerning hospital discharge and support options.
• Supporting parents who have a learning disability and whose child is subject to child protection proceedings.
• Supporting self-advocacy groups and self-advocates to lead the advocacy support that they receive, to attend forums and meetings across Southampton, to understand and have a say over the issues which impact their lives,
• To support self-advocates to attend Southampton's Learning Disabilities Partnership Board.
• Supporting individuals to become peer advocates
• Providing advocacy support to individuals and groups as part of strategic service reviews and system redesign undertaken by public sector bodies.