Provision of Independent Approved Premises

II.2.4) Description of the procurement:

(nature and quantity of works, supplies or services or indication of needs and requirements)

Approved Premises (APs) provide accommodation for a, high-risk (male) and medium risk complex need cases (female); person on probation (PoP) upon release to support their safe transition into the community, while providing a valuable level of public protection. The key purpose of APs is to allow Probation Service staff to closely monitor and manage high-risk and complex behaviours while supporting them in reintegrating into the community.

Priority is given to those who pose a risk of serious harm to children, known victims and the public, as well as to themselves.

The model length of stay for a PoP is 3 months. However, a range of factors will influence the duration, including the ability to safely progress an individual on into subsequent community or supported accommodation.

There are currently 105 AP/IAPs operating across England and Wales:

• 89 are operated by the Probation Service
• 15 are Independent Approved Premises, predominantly operated by the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector

IAPs work with the highest-risk PoP and are a vital element in public protection arrangements.

Effective security is essential for public protection, for PoP management, and for the safety of staff and residents alike. They offer a level of contact, support and supervision that exists nowhere else in the probation service with the aim of protecting the public by reducing the likelihood of re-offending.

These premises provide enhanced supervision through 24-hour a day staffing, night-time curfews, compliance with consistently enforced rules and a programme of supervision, support and monitoring, which addresses offending behaviour and the reduction of risk.

Residents are seen daily, and staff become involved in the residents’ lives to a high degree; giving advice, offering support, exercising control and supervision and liaising with the rest of the service and a wide range of agencies.

The capacity to engage directly with a wide range of Criminal Justice stakeholders – Courts, Probation, Prisons, Police – is therefore essential. This intensive level of contact is what enables IAP staff to be aware of residents’ actions and changes in their behaviour in a way that no other intervention can and allows a high level of monitoring of residents’ well-being.

There are two key elements to the provision of an IAP:

The first element is the provision and maintenance of a ‘fit for purpose’ residential unit which, will require the relevant licenses to operate as such;

The second element is the delivery of the 24-hour support service.

The 10 IAPs in scope for this procurement collectively deliver 224 bed placements for high-risk complex cases on release from custody.

Further information on AP’s can be found under PSI 32/2014 located here: www.gov.uk/guidance/probation-i… ↗

To register early interest and ensure you are added to our mailing list, please notify us at

[email protected]

The first national virtual engagement session will take place on 9th January 2023 at 13:30. Further supplier one to one meetings will take place during week commencing 16th January 2023 and week commencing 23rd January 2023 Additional information: Please note this procurement will follow the Light Touch Regime