Domestic Abuse Supported Accommodation (DASA) Services

Description

Westmorland and Furness Council is undertaking the recommissioning of Domestic Abuse Supported Accommodation (DASA) services in line with our statutory duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The Council’s current DASA contracts are due to expire in March 2027, and we are now beginning the process to design and procure future services to ensure continuity of provision and improved outcomes for victims and survivors. We are inviting current providers and potential new providers to participate in a series of market engagement and co-design workshops to help shape the future model and contractual approach for these services. This recommissioning work is being supported through a series of engagement activities with a range of stakeholders, including service users, partners, and providers. These activities are designed to ensure we gather a comprehensive understanding of need, system pressures, and lived experience, and will culminate in co-design workshops with service providers to shape the future service model. Alongside this session, we will also engage with a range of other stakeholders, with all feedback contributing to the development of clear parameters for the future service model. Why we are engaging the provider market The Council has completed a needs assessment for domestic abuse supported accommodation, informed by local data and system insight, and reviewed through the Community Safety Partnership. We are now moving into the service design and commissioning phase, where engagement with the provider market is critical to: • Ensure services are deliverable, sustainable, and high quality • Shape a model that reflects local need and demand • Support a diverse and resilient provider market, including specialist provision • Incorporate best practice and innovation from across the sector Engagement with providers at this stage is recognised as key to developing effective service models and achievable specifications ahead of procurement Purpose of the co-design workshops These sessions are an opportunity to work collaboratively with providers to shape the future DASA offer. We are particularly seeking your input to: 1. Inform the future service model • How services should be structured (e.g. refuge, dispersed, specialist provision) • Capacity, pathways and delivery considerations • Opportunities for innovation and integration 2. Co-design the contract approach • Views on contract structure (e.g. lots, geography, specialisms) • What would support effective delivery and sustainability • Risks, constraints and practical considerations 3. Embed lived experience into service design • How lived experience should shape service delivery and outcomes • Good practice in co-production and user involvement • How this can be reflected in service requirements and contract expectations What we will cover The workshops will focus on: • Key findings from the needs assessment (high-level overview only) • Service model options and future direction • Contract design and delivery considerations • Embedding lived experience and co-production approaches Important information • This engagement is pre-procurement and is not part of a formal tender process • Attendance does not confer any advantage in future procurement activity • Feedback gathered will inform the development of service specifications and commissioning approach Workshop details 1st Session - Date: 30th June 2026 Time: 12:30 – 15:30 Testing the Future Service Model and Direction Location: Teams Follow on session - Date: 2nd July 2026 Time: 12:30 – 14:30 Refining the Model and Contract Approach Location: Teams How to confirm your attendance – please contact Karen.Strong@cumbria.gov.uk Please confirm your attendance by email before the 24th of June 2026 you will then be sent a link to join the meeting. Your involvement Your expertise as a provider is essential in ensuring that future services are: • Safe, effective and trauma-informed • Grounded in lived experience • Deliverable within the local context • Sustainable for the provider market We are keen to work collaboratively with the sector to design services that meet the needs of victims and survivors across Westmorland and Furness. Keywords: Supported, Accommodation, Domestic, Abuse