News

Contract Opportunity: Homes and Jobs for Vulnerable Adults Programme

6th August 2010

Invitation to Tender

This is an invitation to tender for one or more of the seven small projects to help vulnerable adults into employment and/ or settled accommodation. All projects are for a maximum of six months duration and for a maximum of £20,000 each inclusive of VAT (unless stated on the specific project specification) from a total fund of c£100,000. Tenders covering more than one project are welcomed and should illustrate the cost-savings and economies of scale of a single provider doing the different projects. Tenders should include provision for expenses but VAT must be shown separately.

Applications are welcomed from individuals and organisations from all sectors and across Yorkshire and the Humber. Priority will be given to applications from voluntary and community sector organisations and/ or user-led organisations.

Individuals/ organisations need to demonstrate strong links with relevant partnership boards, other strategic agencies and directly with people with mental health conditions and/or a learning disability. Priority may be given to organisations that directly involve people with mental health conditions and/ or a learning disability and their families and carers in their organisations, especially where these individuals will be involved in working on the project.

The appointed persons/organisations will agree with Yorkshire & Humber Improvement Partnership (YHIP) the scope and range of the key duties and responsibilities and report at least monthly to the respective programme lead. The appointed persons/organisations will be self-sufficient administratively as no administrative/secretarial support will be provided.

The Small Projects Specifications

Project 1: Employers Resource

To develop a Pocket Guide for employers to support the recruitment, retention and support of adults with disabilities working in their organisations, with a particular focus on adults with a learning disability and/ or mental health condition. The pocket guide should be developed to be available in hard copy and as a downloadable web resource, and should build on examples of current good practice such as the Employer’s Forum on Disability (www.realising-potential.org) and The Hub Workplace Mental Health Yorkshire and Humber (www.workplacementalhealth.co.uk). (Guidance of what YHIP envisages being included in the pocket guide is available on request.)
To devise and undertake a marketing campaign for employers to signpost them to resources currently available to support them to recruit, retain and support people with disabilities in their organisations, with a particular focus on adults with a learning disability and/ or mental health condition. This should include as a minimum a) details of how the pocket guide will be both promoted and copies distributed and b) details of how any existing web resources will be advertised and/ or brought together in a single web resource.

The tender should make it clear whether the tender includes the costs of a) developing the Pocket Guide, which will then be printed by an external printer at additional cost, or b) developing and printing 3,000 copies of the Pocket Guide.

Project 2: Learning Disability and Housing - Expert Mentoring

To offer expert mentoring to care mangers, housing officers, social workers and other professionals, who are working with individuals with a learning disability and/or autism-spectrum condition to find the right place to live.
To support the professional and the individual who are having a problem finding the right accommodation to do so.
To offer mentoring opportunities to families who are helping people to find the right place to live.
To bring together all the people that have had the mentoring opportunity to share the learning with other people and organisations in the Yorkshire and the Humber region.
To disseminate the outcomes that people have achieved in finding the right place to live, including (but not limited to) writing a final report of the findings of the project. The tender should clearly indicate how the outcomes of the project will be disseminated and showcased regionally by February 2011.

Project 3: Learning Disabilities and Transition Age Group (16-25)

To work with the transition teams/ workers in children and families and adult teams in local authorities and take them through the steps to employment for people with a learning disability and/ or autism-spectrum condition.
To use the’ Getting a Life pathway’ map with each local authority, to determine where they are up to on the pathway, and help them to determine the steps they need to take to produce positive outcomes for the individual.
To ensure that professionals understand the importance of person-centred transitions plan, which lead to better outcomes for the individual and the role of the professional in this process.
To disseminate the outcomes of the project, including (but not limited to) writing a final report of the findings of the project. The tender should clearly indicate how the outcomes of the project will be disseminated and showcased regionally by February 2011.

Project 4: Mental Health and Housing

To provide an electronic information resource, to help professionals provide appropriate support on housing for people with mental health conditions, and to help people with mental health conditions to be able to access this support.

To publish a ‘Can do guide for Mental Health and Housing’ for mental health service users, their families and carers and also health, housing and social care professionals.

The tender should make it clear whether the tender includes the costs of a) developing the Can Do Guide, which will then be printed by an external printer at additional cost, or b) developing and printing 5,000 copies of the Can Do Guide.

Project 5: Mental Health and Housing Action Learning Set

[Note: This project is for a maximum of £15k only]

To develop a regional action learning set programme for health and housing practitioners from the private, public and voluntary sectors and service users and carers to work together to agree how they could start a multi-agency approach to simplifying the process in their localities. The programme should be delivered using a co-production approach, working with users and carers as equal partners and utilising their skills, experience and expertise to improve services.
To promote and recruit representatives of the respective organisations and services users to participate in the action learning set. It is anticipated that there will be a representative from each locality in the region.
To run approximately five to six action learning sets by February 2011.
To write a final report detailing the relevant learning from the action learning set and/ or publish simple guidance on setting up a multi-agency approach, to be shared across the region

The tender should make it clear whether it intends to result in a) a final report only or b) published guidance. It should also explain how the collaborative relationships developed between frontline staff, service users and carers will continue to influence service development beyond the life of programme.

Project 6: QIPP statistical review

[Note: This project is for a maximum of £10k only]

To undertake a review of the current information (quantitative and qualitative) on the cost-effectiveness, value for money and service quality for service users of both a) out of area placements and b) registered care placements, for people with learning disabilities and/ or mental health conditions.
From this review, and in line with the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda, to publish guidance to professionals on the cost-effectiveness of providing these services and alternatives and the quality of services for service users, plus options of how these costs can be reduced, whilst maintaining or improving the service user experience.

Project 7: Involving the voluntary and community sector

To manage a small scale, grants based, innovation fund aimed at empowering individuals who use services to undertake community capacity building projects focussed on employment and housing for people with mental health conditions and/ or a learning disability. (It is anticipated that projects will range from £500-£1500 each.)
To pull together a support network of community activists to share innovation, ideas and emerging good practice.
To communicate and showcase projects to relevant partners including voluntary and community sector organisations, service users, carers and statutory organisations.
To write a final report of the outcomes of the project, including emerging good practice and links to the Big Society agenda, and to disseminate these findings regionally. The tender should clearly indicate how the outcomes of the project will be disseminated and showcased regionally by February 2011, and include thoughts on sustainability.

Tendering and Appointment Process

Proposals should be submitted in writing and emailed to the contact detailed below, no later than noon on Monday 16 August. The proposal should be entitled Small Projects Tender and contain the following information:

Clearly state which of the seven projects the tender is for
Full details of the organisation/individual, including examples of two previous relevant projects undertaken.
Detailed breakdown of costings.
Names, addresses and telephone/fax numbers of two referees who have direct and relevant knowledge of the organisations work.
Capacity and qualification of key personnel cited in the tender
Details of key contact personnel
Evidence of financial security
Experience of working strategically in the housing, employment, health or social care sectors and demonstrate experience of successfully planning, developing and managing programmes and projects with proven understanding of impact across organisations.
Experience of partnership working and innovative service developments
Evidence that the organisation is linked to the relevant partnership board/s and people with from the respective client groups
The timescale envisaged to undertake the work, which should clearly illustrate how the project can be completed within six months by February 2011 and, if appropriate, include a commitment to participate in the regional showcase event in mid February 2011.

Timescales

Timescales for delivery of these projects is February 2011. It is expected that projects will start on 1 September 2010 last a maximum of six months. All projects must be complete by the end of February 2011 at the latest.

Half the funding will be made available at the start of the project and the second half after three months, subject to satisfactory progress.

Tender Process

To discuss this tender before submitting a bid you are welcome to contact Nicola Guy on 07810 831130 or Nicola.Guy@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

Tenders of a maximum of ten sides of A4 should be submitted by email to Nicola no later than noon on Monday 16 August at Nicola.guy@dh.gsi.gov.uk.

The contract will be awarded by Wednesday 25 August.