West Sussex County Council are holding a Provider engagement on Wednesday 18th October at 3pm via Microsoft Teams.

Please RSVP via the contact details provided in this notice by 10am Tuesday 17th October.

Please see below for some brief detail around the Council's requirements.

Since November 2021, West Sussex County Council (WSCC) has been delivering the onsite wrap-around support provision across two Bridging Hotels which were commissioned by the Home Office to accommodate individuals and families evacuated from Afghanistan during Operation Pitting following the rise of the Taliban in August 2021.

Following the Prime Minister's announcement in December 2022 describing an intention to reduce the reliance on hotel accommodation, a programme of activity has been underway which culminated in the closure of all Afghan Bridging Hotels across the country on 31st August 2023.

WSCC continues to work with national and regional partners to secure property options to allow Bridging Hotel residents to move to independent settled accommodation in a location of their choice across the country as well as within West Sussex.

All residents of Bridging Hotels have arrived into the UK with status granted under one of the national Refugee Resettlement schemes and as such have full access to welfare benefits, education, employment, healthcare, language skills and full integration support which provides the supporting Local Authority (WSCC) to claim tariff funding to deliver this practical support for a 3 year duration from move to settled accommodation.

The County Council now has the opportunity to enter into a lease to secure a block of flats providing multiple units of accommodation for those previously in Bridging Hotels.

This will alleviate the demand for the use of more expensive temporary accommodation and provide longer-term housing, for individuals, couples and small family groups, who are already living and working in the area.

West Sussex County Council are now seeking a Service Provider organisation to supply management services for this single block of 41 flats.

The Service Provider will be required to enter into a sub-lease with the County Council on terms to be agreed between both parties.

The Service Provider will be required to deliver, over the 5 year sub-lease period, support for individuals/families resident within the individual self-contained flats which will be inclusive of (but not limited to) repairs and maintenance to the entire accommodation block and individual flats, inclusive of out of hours support, liaison with both the landlord and tenants and issuing tenancy agreements.

The Estimated total value for this contract is £1,250,000.