PIN: Victim Services Hub for Cumbria

The Commissioner is considering procuring a hub of services which supports victims of crime, anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse, witnesses and affected family/ friends to receive support to cope with the immediate impact of a crime and to recover from the longer-term legacy of the experience. This would potentially include triage, needs assessment, victim-centred provision of emotional and practical support and advocacy, and the development of effective referral mechanisms and relationships with local and national specialist services. The Service will ensure a seamless pathway to the most appropriate support, providing the ability to step up or down as needed. The service would potentially include an enhanced focus on the needs of children and young people; vulnerable, repeat or persistently targeted victims of crime; victims of more serious crimes such as hate crime, domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault, including Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisor support.

The completion process is envisaged as being one based on the Light Touch Regime with appropriate due notice, of which this PIN should be included. Subject to final ratification & stakeholder agreement the Modified Process is likely to be modelled & underpinned on the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation (CPwN). This may include a written submission followed by one or a number of selection interviews ending in bids for the eventual service design.

Due to the framework under which some of the current services are purchased not being extended, the Authority is now considering its options to procure a managed service provision for the victims' hub model.

TUPE will apply to this procurement. Anticipated contract duration would initially be 2 years 11 months with the possible option to extend by 12 months plus 12 months subject to suitability & funding. Schedule date for start Initial publishing of process documentation on or around 3rd week of September 2018.

The contract opportunity is intended to be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union, Contracts Finder and uk.eu-supply.com (interested parties should register). The Authority & its commissioning partners have recently or are currently submitting a number of bids for additional external funding for victims & perpetrators of crime & abuse which may impact on this Service.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is working with other funding agencies including Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Constabulary, NHS England, NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and other Local Authorities, through Safer Cumbria, on this potential service.