Peer Advocacy and Participation Service – Online Market Engagement Event – 26th October

Liverpool City Council invites potential bidders to express their interest in the above market engagement event to allow commissioners to introduce the up-coming tender for this opportunity and set outs its procurement plan. This Peer Advocacy and Participation service shall be the main service for people who use(d) drugs and alcohol, is not intended to duplicate any existing delivery i.e. treatment services. Therefore, the Contractor may be required to facilitate and support onward referral and / or work in partnership with other voluntary, statutory sector and independent organisations e.g., Citizens Advice Liverpool or service providers of Carers advocacy to ensure that people have access to a range of information and advice that promote their independence, health and well-being. There are currently several services in the City that have a focus upon certain communities or issues. There are also statutory and non-statutory advocacy services operating across the city, however they predominantly focus on issues surrounding mental health and for people who would otherwise have difficulty expressing their wishes and feelings e.g. Care Act Advocacy; Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) services; Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) services; and the Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR). It is proposed that this service sits independently and outside these arrangements as it is broader than mental health. We wish to build upon this success to develop an inclusive service that can engage across many communities in Liverpool. This service will provide ; 1) Advocacy for people who are in treatment and people who use drugs/alcohol but are not currently in treatment. 2) Peer participation / involvement / engagement. Provision of this service should reflect the needs of the community and ensure that it is provided in a sensitive and culturally appropriate manner. This will demand a shared commitment, by a wide range of agencies, to work together in order to provide a holistic response to service user needs.