2526-0531 Homeless Outreach Service

Islington Council is seeking an experienced provider to deliver its Homeless Outreach Service for people sleeping rough across the London Borough of Islington. The service is intended to provide rapid outreach, engagement and ongoing case management to help people move away from rough sleeping and into appropriate accommodation while supporting wider health and wellbeing needs.

The successful provider will deliver outreach during unsocial hours, including early mornings and late evenings, enabling staff to engage with individuals when they are most likely to be sleeping rough. Referrals will be received through StreetLink, partner agencies and intelligence-led outreach activity.

The Council has identified a number of key objectives for the service, including reducing rough sleeping across the borough, ensuring rough sleeping episodes are as brief as possible, supporting access to emergency and longer-term accommodation, and contributing towards the Government’s national ambition to reduce long-term rough sleeping.

The provider will also be expected to:

• Deliver person-centred outreach and case management, with each individual allocated a lead outreach worker.
• Build trust with individuals who may initially refuse support through consistent welfare checks and relationship-based engagement.
• Work closely with the Council’s specialist teams and partner organisations to reduce harm associated with rough sleeping.
• Support access to services beyond housing, including health and wider support needs, to reduce repeat homelessness.
• Work alongside the Street Population Manager and Community Safety Team to address rough sleeping hotspots and associated anti-social behaviour.
• Support community engagement activities relating to rough sleeping.
• Participate in bi-monthly and annual street counts.
• Deliver services during severe weather protocols to help ensure nobody is left sleeping on the streets during extreme conditions.
• Maintain accurate records on the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN).
• Submit monthly and quarterly performance reports for contract monitoring.

The procurement supports delivery of the Council’s Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024–2029and Islington Together 2030 Plan, both of which place a strong emphasis on preventing homelessness, reducing rough sleeping and providing sustainable support for residents experiencing multiple disadvantage.

Contract Information

Buyer: Islington Council

Deadline: 27 July 2026 – 12:00pm

Enquiry Deadline: 17 July 2026 – 12:00pm

Contract Value: £1,890,000 excluding VAT (£2,268,000 including VAT)

Delivery Length: Initial term from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, with the option to extend by two further periods of up to 24 months each (maximum contract length of six years), subject to funding and performance.

Tender Link: Click here

Evaluation Criteria

The contract will be awarded using the following weighted criteria:

• Price – 40%
• Proposed approach to social value – 20%
• Proposed approach to casework in an outreach capacity using a personalised and strengths-based method – 10%
• Proposed approach to using data to effectively target resources according to need – 5%
• Proposed approach to balancing rapid engagement with intensive casework – 5%
• Proposed approach to managing rough sleeping hotspots – 5%
• Proposed approach to supporting rough sleepers with no recourse to public funds – 5%
• Proposed approach to mobilisation – 5%
• Proposed approach to partnership working – 5%

Participation Requirements

The opportunity is particularly suitable for:

• Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs)

Suppliers must demonstrate the required legal, financial and technical capacity as detailed within the tender documentation.

Regulatory Requirements

The successful provider will be expected to maintain accurate CHAIN records and deliver services in line with the Council’s homelessness strategies, severe weather protocols and wider statutory responsibilities relating to rough sleeping.

This opportunity represents continued investment in specialist outreach services designed to reduce rough sleeping, improve engagement with vulnerable residents and support sustainable routes away from homelessness across Islington.

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