Tender: Supported Living Flexible Purchasing System – Care & Support for Adults with Learning Disabilities and Autism in Rotherham

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Rotherham Council is seeking providers to join a Supported Living Flexible Purchasing System to appoint a range of suppliers able to deliver care and support in supported living settings across the borough. Contracts under the FPS will be awarded via mini-competitions or direct awards. The tender is based on supported living principles where people with learning disabilities own or rent their home, control the support they receive, choose who they live with and how they live their lives, and retain security of tenure; support is separate from the housing so a change of support provider does not affect the tenancy. Rotherham highlights a changing population with more complex and ageing needs, limited move-on opportunities, and a lack of specialist autism provision; autistic people asked for housing that accommodates sensory needs including acoustic/noise reduction, with one person saying: "Home needs to be the place where we can relax, unwind, and work off that stress". Supported living tenants will have their own tenancy, be responsible for bills and cost of living, and may be entitled to benefits and grants; the Council seeks high-quality supported living provision to enable a flexible supplier approach, increase competition and cost savings, stimulate market development, improve access for local small and medium enterprises, and support Rotherham Council's social value ambition.