Mental Health Supported Accommodation Pathway - Market Engagement

Overview

Essex County Council are in the early stages of preliminary market engagement to help shape how future tenders for Mental Health Supported Accommodation are structured. The project group would like to reach out to the market to share examples of possible lot structure and gather providers insights into what could work and what could deter potential bidders from bidding.

This project is in its preliminary stages and has not yet completed the governance process to progress to tender. Therefore, all information in this engagement is not final and is subject to change.

Need to know

The vision of Essex County Council (ECC) and NHS Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) is to jointly commission a flexible and diverse Mental Health Accommodation model and pathway, delivering a tiered level of community-based care and support solutions to help people in their recovery and in gaining their independence.

Background

Mental Health (MH) Supported Accommodation sits within the context of a range of support for people experiencing poor mental health in the community. This includes supported living, floating support and tenancy sustainment and move on support.

The SET Mental Health Strategy 2023-28 has an outcome to promote good emotional and mental health recognising the need for people to live as independently as possible in accommodation suitable for their needs and brings focus to housing and coproducing services with people with lived experience.

This accommodation is provided when it is necessary to meet people’s assessed needs under the Mental Health Act and is provided as a way of helping people return to independence in the community.

The Pathway is designed to support flow and capacity for step down from hospital, avoid preventable admissions, improve health and social care outcomes for individuals, provide holistic support and reduce and/or eliminate out of area placements.

The model is underpinned by a move-on concept linked to community provision, including commissioned services ensuring people can continue to recover and thrive independently in mainstream housing.

This engagement relates specifically to the "MH Supported Accommodation Pathway" in the wider community model below.

Questionnaire

The following questionnaire makes reference to the three examples below.

The deadline for responses is noon on 17th July 2026.

Lotting Example One

Lotting Example Two

Lotting Example Three

* Locations are all in Essex

Essex County Council thanks you for taking your time to complete this questionnaire.