Night Concierge Service for Leaving Care Accommodation – Market Engagement

Somerset Council is conducting market engagement to explore options for delivering a Night Concierge Service to support young people in Leaving Care accommodation across three homes in Somerset (two in Taunton, one in Bridgwater). This is a non-binding expression of interest exercise to understand market capacity and delivery models. The Council previously commissioned a concierge service that ceased in 2024, creating sustainability challenges for current internal on-call arrangements, including staff wellbeing, safeguarding risks, and increased emergency service reliance. The Council seeks a safe, responsive overnight support model aligned with corporate parenting responsibilities. The service should provide scheduled welfare checks, responsive call-out capability, incident management, and liaison with emergency services. The Council is considering multiple delivery models including full external concierge services, reduced interim visit-based provision, and partnership/hybrid arrangements. Key requirements include consistent overnight safeguarding coverage, timely professional response, reduced internal reliance, cost-effectiveness, scalability, and alignment with supported accommodation best practice. Providers should address overnight coverage options (mobile patrol, static presence, or hybrid), response times and call-out arrangements, safeguarding governance, workforce experience with vulnerable young adults, partnership working with council teams and emergency services, and mobilisation timescales. A phased procurement approach is anticipated, potentially including short-term interim arrangements and longer-term formal tender in 2026/27. Expressions of interest are invited by 17 June 2026 at 12:00pm to stephen.barker@somerset.gov.uk. No commitment exists from either party.