Bristol Ageing Better Community Navigators Invitation to Tender

Bristol Ageing Better is inviting tenders for providers to deliver the Community Navigator project. There are 3 contracts available with each covering 1 region of Bristol:

1. North (To include the neighbourhood partnerships of ‘ and Lawrence Weston’, ‘, and ’, ‘, and Westbury-on-Trym’, ‘Horfield and ’ and ‘Bishopston, Cotham and Redland’) 2. Central & East (To include the neighbourhood partnerships of ‘Central, Clifton and Harbourside’, ‘, Easton and Lawrence Hill’, ‘Greater ’ and ‘St. George’) 3. South (To include the neighbourhood partnerships of ‘Greater Bedminster’, ‘, Knowle and Windmill Hill’, ‘Dundry View’, ‘, and Whitchurch’ and ‘Greater ’)

Invitation to tender released: 1st September 2016

Submissions to be received by: 31st October 2016

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About Bristol Ageing Better

Introduction

Bristol Ageing Better (BAB) is a partnership of individuals and organisations working together to reduce isolation and loneliness among older people in Bristol. We create an environment in which our partner organisations can deliver effective services, share their knowledge of what works, and be noticed by decision makers.

BAB has developed a strategic programme comprising 16 distinct but interconnected initiatives, which together aim to make a real difference to the lives of older people in Bristol. The programme was submitted to the Big Lottery Fund’s Fulfilling Lives; Ageing Better Programme in April 2014, and BAB was successful in securing funding for a five year programme to be implemented from April 2015.

Programme Outcomes

All Projects are required to contribute to helping BAB meet the four Programme Outcomes by March 2020:

Outcome 1: A 20% increase in the number of older people who report that they have the amount and type of social contact that they want to reduce isolation and loneliness.

Outcome 2: A 20% increase in the number of older people who report that they can influence decisions that affect their local area and how services are designed and delivered.

Outcome 3: A 30% increase in the number of older people who are able to contribute to their community through such mechanisms as volunteering, belonging to a forum, steering group or other activity.

Outcome 4: Building an evidence base to ensure that future services in Bristol are better planned and more effective in reducing loneliness and social isolation.

Service Values

The overall vision of BAB is to improve the quality of life of older people. All projects should be designed and delivered to reflect a coherent set of values to include:

 Positive Attitude: the service will promote a positive attitude towards older people. It will actively challenge ageism and actively promote positive images of older people.

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 An Asset Based approach: the service will adopt an asset based approach which seeks wherever possible to focus on the strengths and experience of individuals and communities and enables older people to make a positive contribution.

 Valuing the voice of older people: the service will put in place structures to involve older people in decision making about how and what activities are undertaken.

 Sustainability: the service will recognise the need to plan and deliver activities in such a way that they are sustainable over the long term.

 Alignment of services: the service will support and enhance the development and implementation of the BAB initiatives framework

 Sharing of learning: the delivery partner will participate in and contribute to the sharing of learning to refine and share practice improvements across BAB projects and delivery partners.

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About Community Navigators

Introduction The Community Navigator project is part of BAB’s “Identify and Inform” theme with the aim of better informing older people in Bristol of community activities and services in order to reduce the risk of isolation and loneliness in later life.

Community Navigators take time to understand the needs and aspirations of isolated and lonely older people and provide them with information, signposting and introductions to a range of services locally and across the city.

History

During the development of the BAB bid, we spoke to over 2,000 older people and 14% of them suggested ‘more information about local activities’ as the best way of stopping older people getting lonely.

Research evidence shows that people who used community navigator services became less lonely and social isolated following such contact.

There are a variety of evaluated models of Community Navigators that vary in a number of ways. In our workshop on 27th July, we reviewed 2 models with BAB partners and discussed what was likely to work in Bristol. (You can access notes and information from this event here).

Geography

There are three contracts available for Community Navigators, with each covering a specific region of the City:

North South Central East Avonmouth and Lawrence Bedminster Clifton Weston Henbury and Brentry Southville Southmead Windmill Hill and Harbourside Westbury-on-Trym and Knowle Central Henleaze Stoke Bishop Filwood Lawrence Hill Redland Ashley Cotham and Withywood Easton Bishopston and Ashley Hengrove and Whitchurch Eastville Down Park Horfield Stockwood Lockleaze Hillfields St. George Central St. George West St. George Troopers Hill

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Functions

Bristol Ageing Better is inviting tenders for a provider to coordinate each of the 3 Community Navigator regions (North, South and Central East). In delivering this project, we expect the following functions to be delivered:

a) Referrals – The provider will need to develop referral and signposting pathways with local services, and to work with the Community Navigator delivery partners in the other 2 regions to obtain and share referrals on a city wide basis. The Provider will also need to establish a process for allocating referrals to Community Navigators and managing engagement with individuals b) Volunteer Coordination - Where a provider decides to use Volunteers as part of the Community Navigator offer, this contract must include provision for the recruitment, training and ongoing support of them. This should be detailed in any tender. c) Signposting function – Referred individuals should be contacted by the Community Navigator Project in order to support them and signpost them into other services. d) Assisted Signposting function – In situations where people’s isolation and loneliness means they are not keen on going out to access activities and services, Community Navigators should help to address barriers – such as connecting people to community transport. e) Project Management and Monitoring – As part of the Service Level Agreement, providers will be required to have an identified person who will supply financial and delivery reports as well as providing case studies and Common Measurement Framework returns (See Evaluation section below). Each delivery partner should also identify a lead person for performance management, who catalogues test and learn and shares learning responsibly.

Project Specification

Successful bids must demonstrate how they will meet the following project specifications: a) Support should be available to individuals in all wards within the region. b) Methods of delivery should be clearly set out to deliver signposting and assisted signposting functions within a reasonable timescale. c) The method of delivery should reflect and adapt to the diverse needs of older people within the region d) Projects should maintain a record of relevant existing and continuing services and activities within the region. e) Policies and processes should be developed (in conjunction with other regions) to identify best practice around criteria for individuals being referred to either signposting or assisted signposting functions. f) Providers will adopt Test and Learn methodology working with BAB and the other 2 providers in the continuous learning of the Community Navigator project. g) Projects should have a strategy for marketing the project locally and establishing local referral routes. 0117 928 1539 www.bristolageingbetter.org.uk

Referrals

Initially, we would encourage Providers to develop local referral pathways with agencies including BAB’s First Contact Checklist, local charities or Social Services. As the programme develops, providers will be expected to work with BAB Partners in trialling new approaches to finding the most isolated and lonely older people. This will not require work additional to the contract but providers will be expected to take any referrals identified through these means in their areas and to contribute to development of ideas and solutions based on their delivery experience.

Project Beneficiaries

The Community Navigator projects will demonstrate how they will engage with isolated and/or lonely people aged 50+.

Project Partners & Support for Collaboration

BAB actively encourages partnership working and collaborative delivery of contracts. BAB will contract with a lead delivery partner to deliver the Community Navigator project (see Appendix 4 – BAB Delivery Partner Contract), who will in turn be responsible for ensuring that formal agreements are in place with other partners involved in the project.

BAB has provided a development support fund for any organisation wishing to enter into a collaborative bid to deliver the Community Navigator project. BAB will fund Voscur to deliver workshops to collaborative partnerships on the following themes:

a) Identify collaboration viability b) Agree and articulate partnership delivery c) Advice, resources and problem solving

Any organisation entering a collaborative bid wishing to receive BAB-funded support from Voscur can email [email protected] for further information. Organisations are recommended to contact BAB as soon as reasonably possible if they wish to receive collaboration support from Voscur.

BAB can provide support to delivery partners to enter into a more formal agreement with a partner(s) should funding for the project be agreed by the selection panel.

Contract value and duration

This invitation to tender is for a 36 month period for which there is in total £250,000 available per region. The duration of the contract is up to 36 months and includes a period for service evaluation.

All 3 contracts should start no later than 1st April 2017. 0117 928 1539 www.bristolageingbetter.org.uk

Evaluation of the Community Navigator Project

As a minimum this project will use the Ageing Better Common Measurement Framework (CMF) for monitoring and evaluation, and provide five case studies to the BAB Programme Management team to illustrate the outcomes of the work undertaken. Further monitoring and evaluation information may be requested by the BAB local evaluation team or Ageing Better national evaluators Ecorys.

See Appendix 3 – BAB CMF Questionnaire for Community Navigators.

Monitoring and Reporting

In addition to the completion of evaluation materials, successful bidders will be expected to take part in monthly check-ins with BAB Programme Management Team as well as completing a quarterly monitoring report on the development of the project and beneficiaries.

Evaluation Criteria

Tenders will be evaluated with weighting of 80% for Quality and 20% for Best Value. More detail of the evaluation criteria can be found in the Tender Submission Fom and Appendix 3 – Community Navigators Evaluation Criteria.

Timescale for the bidding process

RESPONSIBILITY STAGE DATE Bidders Invitation to provide a quote for September 1st the service 2016

Bidders Clarification questions period September 1st begins 2016

Bidders Clarification questions period Friday 21st closes October (12 noon) Bidders Closing date and time for Monday 31st receipt of completed bids October (12 noon) BAB Evaluation period w/c Monday 7th November BAB Interviews for Appointable w/c Monday 21st Bidders November BAB Notification of selected w/c Monday 28th providers November BAB Deadline for Request for w/c Monday 5th provider de-briefing December

BAB reserves the right to revise the timescales and in

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the event, will notify potential bidders as soon as practicable.

See also Appendix 1: BAB Commissioning Terms and Conditions.

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