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Essex County Council - Provider Hub
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Market Context

ECC’s outcomes include young people, adults and families having access to a stable place called home where they can maximise and maintain their independence and wellbeing.

ECC aims to improve outcomes and to promote and improve individual recovery, remove delays in the accommodation pathway and prevent admission to acute services, hospital inpatient provision, and residential care.

Through taking a co-production approach working with people with lived experience and wider stakeholders we know that having a decent place to live supports individuals’ recovery, independence and wellbeing.

However, the ultimate ambition is for people to be living independently in their own homes with little or no support because they have recovered so move on from supported accommodation is a key area of focus.  To enable move-on, ECC wants to explore the private landlord accommodation market and not rely on City, District and Borough Councils.  As a wider health and social care system we need to improve the community offer and increase connections to maximise community resources.

Market Rating

 

Market Quality Market Supply ECC Demand
Moderate Moderate High
ECC Ambition Market Workforce Market Maturity
Manage Supply Low/Moderate Established

ECC rating of the market, assessed on the 31st March 2025

ECC has commissioned a new transformative Mental Health Supported Accommodation recovery pathway, within a whole system view, allowing people to move towards independent living.

The model delivers different levels of services allowing people to move towards independent living. Services are therefore commissioned through a variety of different arrangements:

  • Contracted Mental Health Intensive Assessment Bed (IAB) Services
  • Contracted Mental Health Complex Services
  • Contracted Mental Health Intensive Enablement (IE) Services
  • Contracted Mental Health High, Medium and Low Services
  • Contracted Mental Health Long and Low Services
  • Framework for Supported to Independence
  • A small number of spot contracts and block arrangements

Mental Health Supported Accommodation in the market is meeting existing need through a mixture of shared housing and self-contained units.  Accommodation standards are variable however are improving through ECC’s compliance checks.

There are some accommodation gaps in particular geographical areas resulting in people having been placed outside of their areas of local connection

Essex Market   
No. Placements 2360
Spend £4.5m
Schemes 55

The information shown in the table(s) above is correct as of 31st March 2025.

Commissioners are working on the mobilisation of Mental Health Supported Accommodation across the County.  The tiered model provides a recovery pathway towards independent living and includes Intensive Assessment Beds, Complex, High, Medium and Low-level community accommodation-based care and support.  Provision has mobilised across North, West and Mid Essex with mobilisation continuing across South Essex during 2025.

Accommodation gaps in particular geographical areas have been considered during the implementation of new model and pathway for people who had previously been placed outside of their areas of local connection.

Accommodation standards have been introduced as part of the model.  There are some remaining gaps in current provisions which are being addressed through ECC’s compliance checks, working collaboratively in partnership with providers and landlords.

There has been some impact within accommodation over the last two years, with staff and clients becoming unwell and needing to isolate. However, at present the impacts are being managed within the system.

The commissioning of the new mental health supported accommodation pathway has led to a phased implementation of the model across the county.   Due to this phased approach, mobilisation of the model in the South of the County will continue throughout 2025 with some existing accommodation arrangements also continuing in 2025.

Additionally, ECC will continue to review the demand and need of mental health supported accommodation in partnership with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) and service outcomes.

ECC’s area of focus will remain mobilising the commissioned Mental Health Supported Accommodation model and pathway ensuring accommodation meets ECC’s minimum standards.

Our drivers are to ensure that people are in the most appropriate place to support their care and support needs with the goal that they live as independently as possible in the community.

ECC will also focus on improving outcomes for people in services, particularly in relation to moving on to full independence, connections to their communities, access to education and training and to volunteering and employment.

Last updated: 01/04/2025
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