COUNCILLORS have agreed to extend a specialist support service helping vulnerable adults across Thurrock, warning axing it could drive up homelessness and costs reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
The council’s cabinet has approved plans to re-commission the borough-wide floating support service under a new five-year contract from January 2027.
The service provides one-to-one help and drop-in advice for adults with poor mental health and learning disabilities, focusing on preventing tenancy breakdown and helping people live independently through support with budgeting and housing.
The current contract, in place since 2019, was due to expire later this year.
Members heard the £150,000-a-year service will now run until March 2032, with the option to extend for a further year.
The timing has been aligned with Essex County Council’s £17.5million contract to improve opportunities for joint working, particularly if local government is reorganised.
The report led by Reform Councillor Robert Willoughby, made clear that discontinuing the service would likely lead to increased homelessness and higher costs, while also breaching statutory duties.
Leader of the council Reform councillor Mark Bingley praised the report and the work of officers, and suggested that veterans and armed forces associations should be made aware of the support available.
Mr Bingley said: “Well done to you and your officers for driving down cost pressures in this, you’ve looked at it in quite a lot of detail.
“I think it’s a good idea to make veterans and the armed forces associations aware of the service so on that basis we will move forward to the recommendations.”
Councillors agreed with the proposals and there were no further questions.
Although the current contract does not specifically include asylum seekers or require provision for armed forces veterans, Mr Willoughby confirmed that armed forced veterans may be considered in the future as the service is reviewed.
