West Northamptonshire Council Supported Housing Needs Assessment

Description

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is exploring market interest and capability to deliver a comprehensive Supported Housing Needs Assessment (SHNA). This work is required to support the Council in meeting new statutory obligations to develop Local Supported Housing Strategy introduced by the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 (SHROA), which came into force on 29 August 2023. The needs assessment commissioned through this process will form the evidence base for WNC's first Local Supported Housing Strategy which must be published by 31 March 2027 and must adhere to all statutory requirements under SHROA. Scope of Services West Northamptonshire requires a detailed understanding of current and future need across a range of cohorts including (but not limited to): • Older people • Physical disabilities and long-term conditions • Mental Health • Learning disabilities, autism and complex needs • Homeless and rough sleepers households • Young people including care leavers • Substance Misuse • Offenders and those at risk of offending, • Domestic abuse victims/survivors (not in scope) • Any additional specialist cohorts identified locally Purpose of the Market Engagement Given the breadth and complexity of the required assessment, the Council wishes to engage with interested organisations to discuss and seek views on proposals for this new contract. This will include: • Gather market insight to understand current approaches, methodologies, and innovations in the delivery of supported housing needs assessments. • Market capacity for the project • Suggestions around engagement with other parties including effective approaches for involving registered providers, support providers, health partners, voluntary and community organisations, developers, and lived‑experience groups. • Timescales for completing the SHNA • Broad estimate of project value to help determine the procurement route and budget parameters This soft market engagement is not a call for competition, a prequalification exercise, or an invitation to tender. It is exclusively an information gathering exercise.