Planning

Leaving Care Night Concierge Service (Out-of-Hours Support)

SOMERSET COUNCIL

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

28 May 2026 at 07:23

UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Somerset Council is in the planning stage for a procurement process concerning the "Leaving Care Night Concierge Service (Out-of-Hours Support)" to support young people in Leaving Care accommodation across Somerset. This involves a market engagement notice aimed at assessing market interest and capability in providing overnight concierge services, specifically designed to ensure resident safety and welfare, rapid incident response, and community reassurance. The geographical scope includes three homes in Somerset, with two in central Taunton and one in Bridgwater. The procurement is categorised under welfare services for children and young people and is part of a service procurement method set to commence with an expression of interest by 17 June 2026, 12pm.

This tender presents opportunities for organisations, particularly SMEs, with experience in providing consistent overnight support services, safeguarding governance, and incident management in vulnerable youth or care backgrounds. Potential business growth can be realised by participating in a service model of overnight support that includes patrols, call-outs, and welfare checks and can synergise with existing local providers for a scalable solution. The council is open to innovative service models, possibly leading to contracts from 2027 to 2030, enabling businesses to develop newer, more efficient community and housing support systems. The phased approach for procurement may involve short-term and open tender processes, inviting businesses to contribute to shaping a sustainable support model for Somerset's Leaving Care community.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

Leaving Care Night Concierge Service (Out-of-Hours Support)

Notice Description

This request for expressions of interest is issued solely for the purpose of conducting market engagement and does not constitute any commitment by the Authority to undertake any procurement exercise in the future. This exercise includes no element of supplier evaluation. No parties will be prejudiced by any response or failure to respond to this by the deadline, there is no commitment of any kind involved on either side. This request does not constitute a call for competition to procure any services and the Authority is not bound by any proposal offered. If you are interested in this potential opportunity, then please express an interest by 17 June 2026 at 12:00pm by email to: stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk Background Somerset Council is seeking to understand market interest and capability in delivering an out-of-hours Night Concierge Service to support young people residing in Leaving Care accommodation. A previously commissioned concierge service ceased in 2024, with interim arrangements relying on internal on-call provision. This approach has proved unsustainable and has increased risks relating to: * Staff wellbeing * Safeguarding and incident response * Increased reliance on emergency services * Community and neighbour complaints The Council is therefore exploring options to secure a safe, responsive, and sustainable overnight support model, aligned with its corporate parenting responsibilities. Service Overview The Night Concierge Service is intended to provide overnight support to Leaving Care accommodation (x3 homes in Somerset, x2 in central Taunton, x1 in central Bridgwater) ensuring: * Resident safety and welfare * Rapid response to incidents and emergencies * De-escalation of risk situations * Reassurance to residents and local communities * Reduced pressure on internal services The service is expected to operate across multiple sites and provide a combination of: * Scheduled welfare checks * Responsive call-out capability * Incident management and reporting * Liaison with emergency services where required Key Objectives The Council is seeking a model that: * Ensures consistent overnight safeguarding coverage * Provides a timely and professional response service * Reduces reliance on internal on-call arrangements * Is cost-effective and scalable * Aligns with best practice in supported accommodation Delivery Expectations Providers are asked to consider how they would deliver the following: 1. Overnight Coverage Model * Proposed hours of operation (typically overnight) * Staffing model (mobile patrol vs. static presence vs. hybrid) * Geographic coverage across Somerset 2. Response & Call-Out Arrangements * Response times to incidents * Triage and prioritisation of calls * Escalation procedures 3. Safeguarding & Risk Management * Safeguarding governance and policies * Incident reporting and information sharing * Management of high-risk behaviours or situations 4. Workforce * Staffing structure and roles * Recruitment, vetting, and training * Experience of working with care leavers or vulnerable young adults 5. Partnership Working * Working with Somerset Council teams * Engagement with emergency services * Communication with housing providers 6. Mobilisation * Timescales for implementation * Approach to rapid mobilisation (particularly for interim provision) Service Models Under Consideration The Council is particularly interested in market feedback on the feasibility and design of the following models: Full Night Concierge Service * Comprehensive overnight support including patrols, welfare checks, and call-outs * Fully commissioned external service * Aligned with sector best practice Reduced / Interim Models * Limited visit-based or call-out-only provision * Short-term stabilisation approach Partnership / Hybrid Models * Integration with existing provision (e.g. local providers models) * Flexible, scalable arrangements Procurement Context The Council is considering a phased approach, which may include: * Short-term/interim solution via a quick quotation process (if below threshold) * Longer-term solution via a full open tender There is currently no suitable framework or DPS available, so procurement routes will be bespoke. Market Engagement Purpose This engagement is intended to: * Assess market capacity and appetite * Understand delivery models and innovation * Inform service specification design * Shape the procurement approach Anticipated Timeline * Market engagement: Summer 2026 * Interim arrangement (if required): ASAP * Formal procurement (if required): 2026/27 * Service commencement: To be confirmed Deadline for responding: 17.06.2026, 12 noon Thank you.

Planning Information

Please respond to the following questions by emailing stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk by 17 June 2026, 12pm: Please set out how you would deliver an overnight Night Concierge service across Somerset, including your proposed operating model (e.g. mobile, static or hybrid), geographic coverage, and how you would ensure timely access and response across a large and predominantly rural county. Please describe how you would structure staffing for the service, including recruitment, vetting, training, supervision, and arrangements to ensure consistent, safe delivery overnight (including any on-call or escalation arrangements). Please outline your safeguarding governance, including safer recruitment, staff training, incident management, escalation processes, and how you would ensure appropriate information sharing with the Council and relevant partners. Please describe how you would manage incidents and call-outs, including triage, response times, de-escalation approaches, and liaison with emergency services where required. Please set out how you would work in partnership with Somerset Council and other stakeholders (e.g. housing providers, emergency services), including communication arrangements and integration with existing pathways. Please provide indicative costings for your proposed model(s), including any tiered or flexible approaches, and key cost drivers. Please identify any risks, constraints, or dependencies associated with delivering this service, and how these could be mitigated. Please set out any alternative or innovative delivery models you consider would meet the Council's requirements.

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06a6f2
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050006-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Services
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
SME
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

85 - Health and social work services

CPV Codes

85311300 - Welfare services for children and young people

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
28 May 20261 weeks ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
17 Jun 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
1 Jan 2027 - 31 Dec 2030 4-5 years
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
SOMERSET COUNCIL
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
TAUNTON
Postcode
TA1 4DY
Post Town
Taunton
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLK South West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLK6 North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLK62 Somerset
Delivery Location
TLK23 Somerset CC
Local Authority
Somerset
Electoral Ward
Bishop's Hull & Taunton West
Westminster Constituency
Taunton and Wellington

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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