SERVICES FOR YORK WOMEN'S WELLNESS CENTRE

Description

The Women's Centre in York offers gender-specific, trauma informed support via one-to-one key work or group work. Women can also drop-in to the centre simply to have a warm drink and to make use of the facilities which include a kitchen, shower, and laundry. Any woman can access services, particularly those who may: • Be involved with, or at risk of entering the criminal justice system • Have multiple unmet needs • Not be able to access other services • Be at risk or a victim of sexual or criminal exploitation The service offers support across a range of needs in order to improve outcomes for women. Lot 1: This is voluntary ex-ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice is to indicate that The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority acting as police and crime commissioner proposes to contract with Changing Lives (company number 995799) for the provision of Services for York Women's Wellness Centre. The Women's Centre in York offers gender-specific, trauma informed support via one-to-one key work or group work. Women can also drop-in to the centre simply to have a warm drink and to make use of the facilities which include a kitchen, shower, and laundry. Any woman can access services, particularly those who may: • Be involved with, or at risk of entering the criminal justice system • Have multiple unmet needs • Not be able to access other services • Be at risk or a victim of sexual or criminal exploitation The service offers support across a range of needs in order to improve outcomes for women. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority acting as police and crime commissioner are currently in contract for the provision of Services for York Women's Wellness Centre with provider Changing Lives, ending 31st March 2025. Although York Women's Wellness Centre can support women from North Yorkshire, capacity is limited so the provision is used mostly by women who reside in York. The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority acting as police and crime commissioner recognise that there is a need to offer a gender-specific support service for women on a County-Wide basis. The budget and scope of this future expanded service is not yet fully developed and the option to co-commission with a partner agency is being explored. However, this option would not be possible until 1st April 2026, when the new expanded service will commence. A 12 month extension of the current contract with Changing Lives from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 will allow for co-commissioning with partner agencies in respect of the proposed expanded service and for pre-market engagement allowing providers to fully understand the expanded service requirements and to consider developing partnerships for bidding where appropriate. During the 12 month extension period, the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority acting as police and crime commissioner plan the following procurement activity: Pre-market engagement early 2025 with an open tender opportunity published summer 2025 and award of contract late 2025. The new awarded contract would have an implementation period of early 2026, with a formal contract start date 1st April 2026, and is anticipated to be up to 5 years duration. The total value of procurement given in II.1.7. represents the value of the current contract covering period 30/09/19-31/03/25 (£611,416 excluding VAT, £215,833 of which was Ministry of Justice Funding for Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Support Services which was passported to the provider via the police and crime commissioner from 1st April 2022 until 31st March 2025) plus the estimated value of the 12 month extension covering period 01/04/25-31/03/26 (£143,000 excluding VAT) which is £754,416 excluding VAT. The contract was originally tendered under the Light Touch Regime.