HELP TO LIVE AT HOME SERVICE FOR ZONE 1

South Tyneside Borough Council is seeking a provider for its Help to Live at Home (HTLAH) Service for Zone 1, supporting adults aged 18 and over to remain safe and independent within their own homes and communities.

The contract is valued at an estimated £4.1 million excluding VAT and will run for one year from 6 April 2027 to 5 April 2028.

The service will combine longer-term home care with short-term reablement, hospital discharge and crisis support. While many people accessing the service are expected to be older residents with needs associated with dementia or frailty, provision may also support adults with physical disabilities, mental health needs and other long-term conditions.

Service Requirements

The HTLAH model is intended to maximise independence, wellbeing and quality of life through flexible, outcome-focused support.

Provision is designed to prevent, reduce or delay the need for more intensive health and social care services while enabling people to continue living within their own homes and communities wherever possible.

Future provision within Zone 1 will cover two principal service areas.

Home Independence Support Service (HISS)

HISS represents the longer-term home care element of the contract and will support people requiring ongoing assistance to live independently at home.

Provision may include:

• Personal care, including washing, dressing and toileting
• Medication support
• Assistance with meals and nutrition
• Mobility and transfer support
• Social inclusion and access to the community
• Support for people with dementia
• Support for people with physical disabilities and long-term conditions
• Night-time support where required

Home Independence and Crisis Support Service (HICSS)

HICSS will provide short-term interventions focused on reablement, hospital discharge, crisis response and recovery.

Services include:

• Hospital-to-home support
• Admission avoidance
• Intermediate care
• Short-term reablement
• Active recovery following illness or injury
• Crisis response
• Community alarm response
• Support to regain daily living skills
• Interventions aimed at reducing longer-term care dependency

Extra Care provision, which formed part of the Council’s previous arrangements, will be funded separately and is not included within the future HTLAH provision described in this procurement.

Supplier Eligibility

The Council has confirmed that suppliers currently delivering the Help to Live at Home contracts for Zones 2 and 3 are not eligible to participate in this procurement.

The opportunity has been identified as particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Contract Information

Buyer: South Tyneside Borough Council

Reference: S9083

Deadline: 30 September 2026, 12:00pm

Enquiry Deadline: 25 September 2026, 5:00pm

Contract Value: £4,100,000 excluding VAT

Delivery Length: 1 year – 6 April 2027 to 5 April 2028

Tender Link: Click here

Procurement Process

The procurement is being conducted as a two-stage Competitive Flexible Procedure under the light touch regime.

At the first stage, interested suppliers are required to complete and return the Procurement Specific Questionnaire (PSQ) by 12:00pm on 30 September 2026.

Between five and seven tenderers will be shortlisted in accordance with the Council’s PSQ evaluation matrix. Outcome notifications are expected to be issued on 8 October 2026.

The tender documents will then be re-issued to shortlisted organisations on 8 October 2026, with completed Stage 2 tender documentation required by 12:00pm on 4 November 2026.

A maximum of seven suppliers will be invited to tender.

Evaluation Criteria

The published award criteria are entirely quality-based and comprise:

• Service Delivery – 20%
• Hospital Discharge – 20%
• Rapid Response – 15%
• Reducing long-term dependency on the Service – 15%
• Assistive Technology and Digital Support – 15%
• Partnership Working – 15%

These criteria place particular emphasis on providers’ ability to deliver effective home-based support while contributing to hospital discharge, rapid response, greater independence and integrated partnership working.

The opportunity represents a substantial home care and reablement contract for providers capable of supporting adults with a broad range of needs across South Tyneside. The combination of ongoing home support, hospital discharge, crisis response and reablement makes the procurement particularly relevant to organisations experienced in outcome-focused community care and reducing reliance on longer-term services.

Never Miss a Care Sector Opportunity

From contract opportunities and framework launches to sector news and procurement updates, The Daily Round delivers daily insights designed for care providers, suppliers, and sector leaders.

Sign up to The Daily Round Daily Bulletin to receive the latest opportunities and healthcare procurement news directly to your inbox.

If you want to advertise your opportunity, please contact Jamie Peacock, Tender Specialist at advertising@dailyround.news