Domestic Abuse Community Outreach Support

RMBC is seeking to procure a dynamic, proactive Domestic Abuse support, safety planning and advocacy service. The Service will deliver all aspects of a Domestic Abuse support service from the provision of advice and guidance, joint communications and campaigns, an accessible pathway into services, safety planning, ongoing support, and therapeutic services for all those affected by domestic abuse. The Service will give particular focus to women and families, men, mental health, housing, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Communities and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Queer/Sometimes Questioning (LGBTQ). This service is being commissioned to assist the Council to fulfil its statutory duties towards victims of domestic abuse and their children. Domestic Abuse is a priority for the Council, and its partners, through the Safer Rotherham Partnership, and the Council continues to prioritise domestic abuse through safeguarding existing budgets and through this contract. Domestic Abuse continues to gain national focus, most recently through the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and in a wider sense as part of the overall drive to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls. Whilst this service will seek to provide Domestic Abuse Support to all individuals who need it, the Council continues to recognise that primarily domestic abuse is a form of violence perpetrated against women, by men. This agreement is for the sole use of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC). The service will be subject to core and non-core contract activities as detailed in the contract documents. Bidders are advised that the maximum budget available for the core provision of this contract is £440,000 per annum. The contract may be subject to future additional funding sources throughout the lifetime of the contract, this non-core activity will be linked to any service or provision that meet the needs of or provide outcomes for the victims of domestic abuse. The non-core requirements as they arise will be subject to negotiation and agreement with the successful provider. The non-core activity will form part of a framework contract for additional services which the Council may place orders for from time to time subject to additional funding. The costs submitted by the bidder will be fixed and firm for the full duration of the initial 5-year contract term. There will be no facility to uplift the contract price within the five-year contract period. Should the extension term be exercised, an uplift may be applied in line with the Consumer Price Index, should the provider apply for this within the terms of the contract. This will be applied to final year (year 5) costs. It is anticipated that the contract will commence on 01/10/2022 and will run for a period of 60 months making the expiry date 30/09/2027. The contract will have an option to extend by a further 1 x 24-month period at the sole discretion of the Council making the latest possible expiry date 30/09/2029. The Council is committed to a performance and evidence-based approach to Social Value and has partnered with the Social Value Portal (SVP) to assist in the delivery of this. Based on the National TOMs (Themes, Outcomes and Measures) developed by the Social Value Portal, bidders are required to propose credible commitments against which performance (for the successful bidder) will be monitored. The incumbent supplier of this service considers that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 as amended by the Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 apply to this contract. The tender process is being conducted under the Social and Other Specific Services procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (as amended) (“the Regulations”), but mirrors a process similar to the Open Procedure. Additional information: For the purpose of this tender, the contact details of the Council’s primary contact are: Name: Lorna Byne Email Address: lorna.byne@rotherham.gov.uk Telephone: 01709 334159