Southampton Early Advice and Support (SEAS) Services

The SEAS service will focus on delivering preventative and high-quality Information, Advice, Guidance and direct support to reduce demand on formal children's and adult's social care services. The service will prioritise early intervention, promoting independence, addressing social isolation, for example among older adults (65+) and carers.

Key areas of focus within SEAS will be support for unpaid carers, Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND), advice & information for children & young people, flexible direct support to meet different population needs as well as advice and navigation in relation to adult social care, welfare & benefits, immigration & asylum, employment rights & fuel poverty.

The key objectives of SEAS:

• Embedding services within emerging models for neighbourhood hubs - making advice and support more accessible and community-led.

• Strengthening multi-agency collaboration - aligning Southampton City Council, Adult Social Care, Children's Social Care, NHS Integrated Neighbourhood Working (INW), Public Health, and the VCSE sector.

• Ensuring financial sustainability - shifting resources from crisis response to preventative services.

• Supporting vulnerable communities, including carers, people at risk of social isolation and fuel poverty.

• Maintaining and building on the expertise within local communities and the voluntary sector - recognising the important role of the sector, the challenges it faces and bringing in new investment where possible to boost the local offer.

Indicative Procurement Details:

• Estimated Annual Contract Value: £2.4m

• Procurement Process: This procurement will be conducted under the Procurement Act 2023, subject to the commencement of the new regulations.

• Eligibility: Open to organisations capable of delivering a Lead Provider Partnership Model. The model should consider including Voluntary, Community Groups, Social Enterprise, and Registered Charities (VCSE) collaboration.