SS15 74 - Young Carers Service

Tender description

Kent County Council is inviting contractors to tender for the opportunity to provide a Young Carers Service in Kent with two distinct, but linked functions: (a) workforce development and compliance, raising awareness amongst agencies and professionals likely to come into contact with young carers and training these agencies and professionals how to identify, assess the needs of and support young carers; and (b) providing direct support to young carers in Kent. It is the Council's intention to award one countywide contract to commence upon 01 May 2016 and will continue for a period of 36 months, with an option to extend for up to a further period of 12 months. Responses from consortia or with sub-contracting arrangements are acceptable. Kent County Council (the council) is the largest county council in England covering an area of 3,500 square kilometres. It has an annual expenditure of over £900m on goods and services and a population of 1.3m. The Council provides a wide range of personal and strategic services on behalf of its residents, operating in partnership with 12 district councils and 289 parish/town councils. The Young Carers Service will form part of Kent County Council's wider Early Help and Preventative Services offer. The role of Early Help and Preventative Services is to deliver effective early help and prevention to achieve improved outcomes for vulnerable children and families and reduce demand for social care services. The Young Carers Service will ensure that young carers are identified and receive the support they need, so that they are able to engage with education, learning, training, work and recreational activities. The Care Act 2014 established that every family should be treated holistically to ensure the needs of carers and the cared for are identified. The Children and Families Act 2014 states that young carer means a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person. Data from the 2011 census has identified over 6,500 young carers in Kent; however, as many young carers remain hidden the true figure is likely to be in excess of 10,000 young carers in Kent. Young Carers are still often unrecognised, despite the fact that they may provide many hours of support each week. A Young Carer's entitlement to an assessment of their needs has now been legally established within the Children and Families Act 2014. Further background and technical information can be found within the tender documentation.