Appropriate Adult Service for Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and Isle of Wight

Hampshire County Council, working in collaboration with Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Isle of Wight Council, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, is seeking a single provider to deliver an Appropriate Adult (AA) Service for children, young people, and vulnerable adults across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight.

The service will provide Appropriate Adults for children and young people where a parent, guardian, social worker or other suitable representative is unavailable, and for vulnerable adults where there is no relative, guardian, carer, or other appropriate person available while they are in police custody or another place of detention.

The successful provider will also deliver Appropriate Adult support for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) requiring age assessments undertaken by Hampshire County Council where an individual’s age is in dispute. The Council recorded 80 age assessments requiring an Appropriate Adult during the previous 12 months.

The contracting authorities have provided indicative annual demand figures to support suppliers in understanding the expected workload, while confirming that these figures do not represent guaranteed volumes.

Indicative Annual Demand

The service currently delivers approximately 10,450 hours annually, comprising:

Vulnerable Adults

• Portsmouth City Council – 1,574 hours
• Police and Crime Commissioner (covering Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight) – 6,636 hours, with demand having increased by approximately 400 hours per year

Children and Young People

• Portsmouth City Council Youth Justice Service – 529 hours
• Southampton City Council Youth Justice Service – 501 hours
• Isle of Wight Council Youth Justice Service – 107 hours
• Hampshire County Council Youth Justice Service – 1,081 hours

Contract Information

Buyer: Hampshire County Council, in collaboration with Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Isle of Wight Council, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Deadline: 20 July 2026, 2:00pm

Contract Value: £2,353,333 excluding VAT

Delivery Length: 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2029, with the option to extend for up to two years until 30 June 2031

Tender Link: Click here

Evaluation Criteria

The procurement will be evaluated using:

• Price – 30%
• Service Delivery – 18%
• Service Model – 16%
• Safeguarding – 12%
• Mobilisation Plan – 8%
• Recruitment and Retention – 8%
• Trauma Informed Approach and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) – 8%

Provider Requirements

Suppliers must demonstrate:

• A minimum of three years’ experience delivering an Appropriate Adult service.

The procurement will result in five separate contracts, one with each collaborating authority, with Hampshire County Council managing the procurement process on behalf of the partnership.

The opportunity reflects continued investment in safeguarding vulnerable adults, children, and young people by ensuring Appropriate Adult support is available across police custody settings and age assessment processes throughout Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight.

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