Domestic Abuse Support Services in Milton Keynes

Description

Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC) wish to request information regarding general and specialist support for residents affected by domestic abuse. The Domestic Abuse Act came into force at the end of April 2021 and places new requirements on local authorities including a duty to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation. The following services are currently commissioned under a Strategic Partnership Framework, which ends in early 2027: 1. Crisis Intervention (IDVA) Service - Provides advice, information, risk assessment and safety and support planning to survivors of domestic abuse. 2. Refuge - Provides 28 self-contained flats with on-site support for women only, with or without children, and up to 40 children at any one time. This contract is for emotional and practical support. Group work, peer support and Children and Young People’s service are provided on-site. This service element also provides wrap around support to survivors placed in temporary accommodation where refuge may not be available or appropriate i.e. male survivors or financially prohibitive. Support is also provided via re-settlement and outreach workers. 3. Perpetrator Programme - A programme of evidence-based group work and one-to-one sessions intended to challenge the behaviour of perpetrators of domestic abuse, while providing support to partners and ex-partners. In addition, a number of specialist, fixed-term projects are also commissioned via the Domestic Abuse New Burdens Grant, including co-located IDVA posts and a survivors’ Counselling project. Over the next year, we will need to review commission DA support services in an inclusive, culturally sensitive and innovative way, in partnership with key stakeholders, providers and residents with lived experience. We would like to hear from organisations interested in working in partnership to deliver both our ‘core’ services and support in the wider community. We are keen to hear from providers on the questions published contained within the market engagement document on our e-tendering portal In-Tend. Please respond to the questions latest by 12 noon on Thursday 12th March 2026 via In-Tend Correspondence section/market engagement stage. If there is sufficient interest in a provider engagement event, to explore the proposal in more detail, this will be held, in person, w/c 16th March 2026, please also indicate within your response if you would like to receive an invitation to the event. The Market Engagement document can be accessed on our e-tendering portal: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/milton-keynes/aspx/Home