Crisis Support
Market Context
The Crisis Support Service for adults with a learning disability and / or autism is a specialist service that works alongside system partners to support the crisis prevention pathway and prevent specialist hospital admissions.
It is split into two elements; a short-term accommodation-based element based in Taunton, and an outreach element that provides specialist support to people in their own home/in partnership with existing services.
The Crisis Support Service provides a specialist service to enable people to remain within their communities where possible, and where it is not, to provide a specialist short-term accommodation provision within the County.
The building for the accommodation-based element is provide by the council’s housing service though a dedicated adapted building that can be made available rapidly. The staffing for the accommodation-based element is commissioned on a bespoke basis using our Specialist Adult Support in Somerset Dynamic depending on the needs of the individual requiring support.
The outreach element has been designed to be able to support exiting care arrments where there is a significant risk of breakdown, through an approach of initial reinforcement, descalation and then withdrawal once the arrments have been stabilised with the intention of maintaining existing care arrangements where this the most appropriate outcome.
Market Rating
Market Quality: Good
Market Supply: Good
Current market status
The contract for the outreach element was let in December 2022 for 5 years, and we will publish our future intentions via our Pipeline Notice in due course.
Market Data
All data is as at [insert date]
| Spend during 2024/25 | |
| No. people supported during 2024/25 | |
| Average length of support |
Distance from desired commissioning objectives
While this service is currently meeting commissioning objectives, given the varying needs of the people supported and the risk of support being difficult to withdraw if the crisis cannot be descanted, continuous monitoring of usage is required with system partners.
Market Risks
- Ensuring there are sufficiently skilled staff in place to respond to people in crisis in a timely and effective way.
Current areas of focus for commissioners
- To evolve the approach to supporting individuals requiring crisis support through a continuous learning approach