Response:

Not applicable

Response:

CHAI is committed to partnership and collaborative working with key strategic partners across a range of service delivery areas.

In the specific context of this bid we sought to enhance and develop our own capacity to meet the service specification by sourcing partners who would bring key experience and strategic synergy to the bid.

Four Square represent a respected, established operator with a reputation of achieving effective outcomes in the homelessness field in Edinburgh. It has specific experience and a track record of delivering housing and homelessness advice and information to individuals in a prison setting, and in other effective interventions around the prevention and tackling of homelessness. CHAI and Four Square have worked co-operatively on a range of shared interest service delivery elements for a number of years, with specific partnership agreements in place around Furniture Recycling activity.

Granton Information Centre (GIC) has a long track record of delivering advice and information to the communities in North Edinburgh, mirroring CHAI's own service delivery remit in the South and West of the City. CHAI and GIC have a long history of co-operating on service planning and delivery, operating as long standing members of the Edinburgh Debt Advice Partnership, joint contractors of NHS Lothian in relation to its NHS Acute Services Welfare Rights Service, and with a formal referral relationship with respect to Money Advice and Income Maximisation activity in Restalrig.

The collective experience and service delivery capacity offered by these organisations are key to underpinning CHAI's ability to deliver the specified services.

1

Name of bidding entity

The Community Help & Advice Initiative Ltd

2

Type of entity (e.g. limited company, partnership)

Limited Company

3

Company registration number (if applicable)

179306

4

Name of parent company (if applicable)

Not applicable

5

Parent company registration number and/or OSCR registration number (if applicable)

CHAI Reg: SC 027594

6

Name of ultimate parent company (if applicable)

Not applicable

7

Ultimate parent company registration number (if applicable)

Not applicable

8

Length of time trading if less than 3 years

Not applicable

9

Is bid in conjunction with another entity (entities)?

No

10

If answer to Q9 yes, in what capacity (e.g. consortium)

Not applicable

11

If answer to Q9 yes, provide answers to Q1 to Q8 for all bidding entities (answer on separate sheet)

Not applicable

A

Copy of audited accounts covering the last three years of trading, or period available if trading for less than three years. This must include the most recent audited accounts.

Yes

B

(Or) Profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statements, unaudited for the most recent three years of trading, or period available if trading less than three years, where audited information is not available.

C

(Or) Where A or B cannot be provided, a statement of the entity's cash flow forecast for the current year and a bank letter outlining current cash and credit facility position.

D

For all bidding entities, Certificate of Incorporation/Partnership Mandate.

Yes

E

For all bidding entities, list of partners/directors.

Yes

Note

1

Name of Bank (from which a financial reference may be sought)

Bank of Scotland

2

Address

206 St Johns Road

Corstorphine

Edinburgh

EH12 6ET

3

Telephone Number

0845 3000 268

4

Suitable contact name

Natalie Knox

5

Telephone Number (if different)

0131 243 5321

Response:

No

Response:

Not applicable

Provide details of your Annual Turnover (in £ Sterling) for:

Latest Year

878,580

One year previous

949,124

Response:

That CEC staff will actively promote the service to those in need of housing advice and information, and where appropriate make direct referrals to the service. (Data Protection satisfied). (Link to Key outcomes 1 & 4)

(Link to Key outcome 4)

(your response should not exceed 2000 words including the implementation plan)

Quality Weighting: 20%

B.2.1

Please outline your experience in delivering the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot and how you will manage this service to ensure successful customer outcome achievement and continuous improvement.

You should attach an implementation plan that details:

- your management structure and whether this has yet to be developed (e.g. for partnership arrangements)

- staffing and other resources that you will deploy to provide the service. This should include details of staff experience, qualifications and use of volunteers

- how and when you propose to deliver the service

- the approach you will take to transition arrangements including, but not limited to:

The Partnership between CHAI, Four Square and Granton Information Centre has been formalised for this tender and now comes together as the Edinburgh Housing Advice Partnership (EHAP).

The three organisations have an excellent track record in the provision of advice and information to vulnerable client groups, with a combined experience of 65 years in the local area.

EHAP members take a holistic approach to advice provision and don't just deal with `presenting' problems. This approach ensures that service users benefit from increased knowledge of local opportunities; take up of benefits; better management of debt; avoidance of homelessness; and referral to other appropriate agencies. Specific experience:

Key Outcome 1:

During 2007/08 EHAP partners dealt with over 12,000 enquiries, of which over 3,000 related to housing advice and information, with almost 1,000 cases involving Court action for the repossession of their home.

EHAP members tackle all issues regarding prevention of homelessness and currently provides free and impartial advice to Edinburgh residents on:

This has been provided through:

EHAP partner organisations, last year, generated £2,277,372 in previously unclaimed benefits for local people

Key Outcome 2:

Key Outcome 3:

Key Outcome 4:

Key Outcome 5:

CHAI, Four Square and GIC continue to develop services to respond to developing community needs based on service reviews regarding gender, mobility, ethnicity and geographic area to adapt delivery to minimise barriers to access.

All EHAP partners can demonstrate many examples of the ways in which services have been adapted or developed in response to specific user needs - most recently around, for example, the influx of Eastern European migrants to the City; and before that, the hosting of refugees from the conflict in the Balkans.

B.2.2

Please outline your experience in delivering this type of service and submit the names of your primary customers in Scotland, the UK, Europe and worldwide together with the approximate value of business these customers provide. You should also supply an overview of the other services you currently provide and specifically identify what proportion of turnover relates to the service being tendered for.

Response:

Collectively, the EHAP partners have provided advice and information on housing issues across a significant proportion of Edinburgh for many years. During this period a wealth of experience has been developed in delivering this type of service to vulnerable client groups.

CHAI has provided an advice, information and representation service to communities across Edinburgh since its inception in 1997. Currently, these include:

Name

Funded by

Value

What it does

CHAI

Wester Hailes Advice Service

£85,000

£24,255

Provision of advice on housing, debt and income maximisation

Provision of advice on actions for the recovery of possession of tenancies at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

South Edinburgh Advice Service

£30,000

Advice and information on housing, homelessness, debt and income maximisation

NHS Acute Services Welfare Rights Service / Primary Care Outreach

£20,934

Advice & information (including housing issues) on an outreach and referral basis from GP Surgeries and RIE/RE Hospitals

Total

Lot 1 Tender (Yr 1)

Organisational Total

Lot 1 Proportion of Turnover

£160,189

£389,464

£878,580

44%

In addition to the Advice Services outlined above, CHAI also delivers housing support services, support to people with substance misuse issues, Furniture Recycling and youth development services.

The other EHAP Partners, GIC and Four Square, also provide significant advice and information services addressing housing and homelessness prevention issues under various contract and funding arrangements from CEC, Neighbourhood Partnerships and NHS Lothian.

B.2.3

Please outline the quality assurance standards and systems you will comply with in delivering the service and whether these are already operating within your organisation.

Response:

CHAI is a registered charity and works to Charity Commission regulations. Strategic and financial responsibility is assumed by a Board of Directors meeting monthly to receive reports and review progress towards the Project Business Plan. CHAI operates to CEC's Financial Management for Voluntary Organisations Guidelines and is subject to annual audit in conformity with current audit standards for charities.

CHAI and Four Square are registered with the Care Commission and adhere to National Care Standards and SSSC Codes of Practice, with annual inspections.

All relevant staff have Disclosure Scotland checks and full induction and supervision in line with a Personal Performance Review process. Individual staff are either qualified, or moving towards appropriate qualifications, in line with job remits and regulatory requirements.

Service users have access to a `Complaints & Suggestions' procedure.

Four Square are working towards PQASSO and IIP.

Four Square POP staff operate to HomePoint National Standards, and all EHAP partners will adopt this as a Standard from Year 1 of operations.

Quality Weighting: 55%

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 10%

B.4.1

Please outline how you will assist in the delivery of some or all of the Homelessness Strategy themes and related customer outcomes.

Response:

EHAP brings together three organisations with considerable experience of providing information, advice and support to the people of Edinburgh. CHAI, Four Square and GIC have a combined working experience of 65 years in the local area and an excellent track record in the provision of information and advice to vulnerable customer groups, particularly in respect of housing issues. Working as individual services, these partners dealt with over 12,000 enquiries during the year 2007/08, which is well above the requested provision for this new service.

EHAP, through the provision of free and impartial advice and information, will assist in the delivery of Homelessness Strategy themes and related customer outcomes. The advice and information provided will enable individuals to access housing, whether through private or social landlords, maintain their tenancy and establish a home, while moving to becoming more stable and independent. EHAP will work to assist customers to be better able to establish a home, whilst ensuring other support needs can be identified, and services signposted to: whether this is housing support within the home - regardless of tenure - or other (non housing) support needs met through accessing appropriate help. The service will work in partnership with key sector partnership organisations to ensure appropriate support is provided.

The practice of a holistic approach, actively promoted by all partners within EHAP, will ensure that individual needs are addressed and the service does not only deal with “presenting" problems. This approach ensures that everyone who is seen by a worker can benefit from;

EHAP will utilise a wide range of methods and techniques in providing the above information, including considerable outreach activities to allow the widest possible `first contact'. This will include presentations to other local organisations, close working with existing services and the publication and distribution of marketing material in a wide range of formats e.g. large type, Braille, on the internet and in various languages including Polish.

Customers will be able to choose how they would like to interact with the service. This will include telephone support, internet and email technology, centre-based clinics or surgeries, home visits and appointments. Any particular individual or client group can be provided with assistance in a manner appropriate and sensitive to their needs.

Customers will be positively encouraged to promote the service further into their communities and amongst their peers. Training will be made available to individuals who take up this opportunity to give them the skills and confidence need to become advocates for both themselves and others in similar situations so that they can drive the focus of future service delivery. It is envisaged that in the future, service user advocates will be fully involved in the strategic planning of future service delivery and in delivering EHAP services to their peers.

B.4.2

Please outline any additional services, volunteering or funding that you will bring to the service.

Response:

EHAP brings together three bodies with considerable experience of providing information, advice and support to the people of Edinburgh. CHAI, Four Square and GIC have a combined experience of 65 years working in the local area and an excellent track record in the provision of information and advice to vulnerable client groups, particularly in respect of housing issues. Working as individual services, these partners dealt with over 12,000 enquiries during the year 2007/08, which is well above the requested provision for this new service.

There will be significant access to specialist and expert advice on a large number of issues, including where debt or income benefit issues are contributing to the problems. In existing services, partner organisations have provided representation at benefit appeal tribunals, assisted with appeals for backdated benefit and, in some cases, provided representation at Social Security Commissioners' Hearings. Customers with multiple debts can access the Advice Service's Money Advisers who will contribute their expertise in assisting customers to retain their homes. One of the partners currently maintains an existing infrastructure that will be used and can be built upon for this service. This includes a number of premises across the city as well as existing management and staff resources, including an FSF funded Housing Advice Worker. Partner organisations host the West Edinburgh hub of the Edinburgh Volunteer Centre, which would enable access, and a clear link, to volunteering opportunities and skills and training provision for customers of the EHAP service.

Partner organisations currently receive funding from the CEC, Children and Families Department, to carry out awareness, education and training exercises within local communities and with local residents and organisations. Additional contracts with the local Community Health Partnership allow for the provision of advice and information services through GP practices across the city. Further funding for the expansion of similar services is currently being sought from the Neighbourhood Partnerships utilising the Fairer Scotland Fund. Some input into the development of peer education ans schools work is envisaged using CHAI's Rank Foundation funded `Youth or Adult?' programme.

The organisations in EHAP have considerable experience in providing similar services and our expertise, infrastructure and embedded local presence that would enable us to commence the new service very effectively. The partnership can call on a large number of established links within it's own and others local services to provide access to the specialist and high level expertise required and the reach to those customers requiring it.

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 10%

B.5.1

Please outline which other organisations/agencies you intend to link to or work with in order to deliver the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot and how you will develop joint working with these. (This does not refer to sub-contractors but to other organisations working in the city).

You may present relevant examples of past and present partnership working.

Response:

In delivering an effective Advice and Information service it is imperative that EHAP link effectively with other local agencies, not least the successful tenderer for Lot 5 sub lot 1. To that end EHAP will arrange a meeting with the successful tenderer as soon as practicable after the awarding of the contracts, to ensure effective referral mechanisms and joint working between the two agencies is carried out, regular meetings would then continue for the duration of the contract. There will also be joint working between EHAP and other successful tenderers for the non-accommodation based services.

In addition to this EHAP would link with the following agencies to deliver the customer outcomes:

Key Outcome 1:

Key Outcomes 2 & 3:

Key Outcome 4:

Key Outcome 5:

The above list is not exhaustive but an illustration of the key services that EHAP partners will continue to work with.

B.5.2

Please set out the ways in which you will be open and responsive to changes in strategic direction during the life of the contract.

You may present relevant examples of past and present responsiveness to strategic change.

Response:

EHAP partners have been key members of strategic development in the City and will continue to be active members of the steering groups on which they sit. EHAP will constantly monitor the services it provides, taking into account the wider strategic context for the City to adapt and revise the way in which services are delivered to ensure it meets need and is responsive to change.

Fundamentally this will include two elements

Internal monitoring of the service will provide crucial information to ensure the service remains relevant and responsive to changing needs across the city. This will include service user and stakeholder surveys as well as monitoring uptake of services in different neighbourhoods and at different times of day. This will allow EHAP to adapt service times to suit need, actively market to those groups from which there is a low uptake of services, and reduce barriers to accessing the service.

Responding to strategic change for the City will also be a key part of the work that EHAP does, partner members already play an active role on many of the strategic groups in operation across the city such as

This ensures that partners keep abreast of strategic developments and, as shown in the examples below, responsive to the shifting need.

CHAI has consistently demonstrated a responsive and flexible engagement to developing social policy and strategic initiatives. The organisation has grown from a relatively small local urban programme funded project to a key provider of services on behalf of public service commissioners precisely because it has shown an ability to respond positively to changes in local, City wide and national strategic development. In a recent positive evaluation of CHAI by the Capital City Partnership, one peer review respondent (CEC Commissioning Officer) stated “CHAI have provided an excellent holistic service, indicating that the staff delivering the service … and the overall management of CHAI itself are very approachable, knowledgeable and open to suggestions regarding changes to service and improvements.”

Four Square played a direct part in devising the City's homelessness strategy, performance framework and monitoring database. Four Square played a key role in developing the previous Housing Department's Rough Sleepers Initiative Strategy, Commissioning Plan and Local Outcome Agreement with the then Scottish Office. Four Square successfully proposed several new services, most relevant to this Lot is the suggestion for the highly successful Prison Outreach Project which was then developed further, following a successful consortium tender, to develop and pilot an employability case management system for people within 6 months of release from HMPs Edinburgh, Cornton Vale and YOI Polmont.

GIC were instrumental in delivering the first advice in health settings initiative when this was recognised by research that showed that the provision of welfare rights services in primary health settings would provide tangible benefits not only for patients but also for health professionals. This model has now been extended across Lothian.

(Your response to this section should not exceed 1000 words)

Quality Weighting: 5%

B.6.1

Please outline how you will ensure that people from specific equalities and hard to reach client groups will access your service and achieve the customer outcomes set out in the Service Specification associated with this Lot.

Response:

EHAP partners are committed to maximising accessibility of our service to all members of the community, especially those considered to be hard to reach. In Edinburgh, according to the Scottish Executive Homelessness statistics the BME population amounts to 2.78% of the population. Access to existing EHAP partner services by BME communities already runs at a higher level than this statistic might suggest. Extending this further will be a priority.

The partners are extremely experienced in accessing and working with those who are traditionally considered to be `hard to reach'. The nature of existing service provision and client focus has, almost by default, attracted service users with complex multiple needs (based on disability, physical and mental health, substance misuse and vulnerability due to age).

Equality and diversity is identified throughout our recruitment processes, our service user materials, by ensuring they are accessible, and by offering the services of interpreters (using CEC's Interpreting & Translating Service)

Accessing the Service

Leaflets and posters publicising the service will be produced in different languages as well as makaton and with a customer friendly format. These will be made available in community centres, council offices, doctors' surgeries and by linking in with community leaders and community groups. Community centres and pharmacies will be used where appropriate for those who are reluctant to attend council or more formal offices, thus reducing barriers to access.

There are currently a high proportion of Polish speaking people in Edinburgh and whilst interpretation services are used, consideration will be given to the use of a Polish speaking support worker. Both Four Square and CHAI currently have access to Polish speakers among existing staff. We continue to monitor the increase of Eastern European people accessing the service and will adapt the service as necessary.

EHAP will use customer focus groups, exit surveys and an annual questionnaire to identify, understand and devise solutions to any barriers that exist within the BME community in engaging with our services. There are existing partnership links with BME services in the city, such as SCORE Scotland, which can be developed further to ensure geographic coverage and access to the City's BME communities.

Issues that have been addressed in the past are:

Partner organisations have always had a clear focus on equalities issues.

CHAI has provided equalities and diversity workshops for staff. Each staff member employed by Foursquare receives 3 half day training workshops on equalities, delivered by an external trainer. This includes what our equality policy means in practice, dispelling various myths, challenging stereotypes and specialist training for staff who recruit, select, appraise and supervise on the practical application of equality principles.

Four Square has access to the City of Edinburgh Council's translation services so that service information leaflets aimed at prospective customers can be made accessible in all the major languages represented in Edinburgh's population.

Customer feedback on training and promotional materials is used to keep all learning and marketing materials under regular review and refinement.

GIC provide a home visiting service for clients who have mobility and caring needs and will continue to provide this service to clients who are unable to access services in any other way.

A group who could be considered hard to reach could be those who are owner occupiers, falling into mortgage arrears and then not accessing the service because they were unaware of it. The Development Worker will develop links with Banks and Mortgage providers, to promote directing people to EHAP if and when they run into early difficulties.

GIC have previously undertaken benefit take-up campaigns, raising awareness of the under-claiming of benefits and tax credits and making the service accessible to everyone. This approach has proven to be effective in targeting traditionally hard to reach groups.

Achieving Outcomes

Referee Organisation

NHS Lothian

Contact Name

Kate Burton

Title

Public Health Practitioner

Address

Northwest Edinburgh LHCC

Corstorphine Hospital

136 Corstorphine Road

Edinburgh

EH12 6TT

Service Provided

NHS Primary Care Outreach Service & NHS Acute Sector Welfare Rights Service

Period of Contract

2.5 years

Approximate Value

£28,000

Referee Organisation

South Edinburgh Partnership

Contact Name

Scott Donkin

Title

Interim Manager

Address

13 Newtoft Street

Edinburgh

EH17 8RG

Service Provided

CHAI South Edinburgh Advice Service

Period of Contract

Annually since 2001

Approximate Value

£30,000 per annum

SIGNED

____________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF

____________________________________________________

ADDRESS

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Signature)

DATED THIS

____________ day of ______________ 2008

SIGNED

____________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF

____________________________________________________

ADDRESS

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Signature)

DATED THIS

____________ day of ______________ 2008

SIGNED

____________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF

____________________________________________________

ADDRESS

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Signature)

DATED THIS

____________ day of ______________ 2008

SIGNED

____________________________________________________

ON BEHALF OF

____________________________________________________

ADDRESS

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Name in block capitals)

WITNESS

____________________________________________________

(Signature)

DATED THIS

____________ day of ______________ 2008

Schedule 2 Tenderer's Submission Requirements

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