The report seeks approval to procure the Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant and delegate authority of award of the new contract.

The Committee considered a report setting out approval to seek to procure and award a contract for the Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant 2024/25 for one year plus 18 months.  The expected total value of the contract was £1,866,460. This would be on the understanding and strict condition that the Council received early confirmation from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that they would agree to extend the grant beyond 31 March 2025.

The report explained that the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), had announced at the Budget in March 2020 that they had secured £262m to be available during 2020-2024 for drug and alcohol treatment and related provision. This was specifically to meet the needs of people experiencing rough sleeping who had drug and alcohol dependence needs. A further funding allocation for 2024/25 had been announced in June 2023. 

In January 2022 Reading had awarded a contract to Change Grow Live (CGL) to deliver the Multiple Disadvantage Outreach Team (MDOT) service.  This was initially for 15 months plus 1 year and the contract extension was due to end March 2024. It was reported that the total value of the CGL contract in the 2022/23 outturn was £2,000,770 and for 2023/24 predicted to be £2,075,770.  The separate MDOT contract with CGL 2023/24 annual spend was £746,584. 

The re-procurement of the service would ensure continuity of the service and protect vulnerable residents.

Resolved –

(1)          That a procurement for the Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (24/25) for one year + 18 months (an expected total value of £1,866,460), on the condition that Department Levelling Up, Housing and Communities extend the grant beyond 2024/25 be approved;

(2)          That the Executive Director of Communities & Adult Social Care, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Education and Public Health, be authorised to award the new contract from 1 April 2024 and any extensions to the contract.