Health and social work services

Tender description

A service to help combat loneliness and isolation in Norfolk. The impact of loneliness and social isolation is significant. Norfolk Public Health estimates there are 38 000 lonely people in Norfolk aged 65+, with more who are lonely through isolation caused by physical or mental health problems at any age. Although loneliness is most prevalent in older people (65+), it can be an issue for individuals of any age and particularly people with mental health problems. Having a mental health problem increases your chance of feeling lonely, and feeling lonely can have a negative impact on mental health. Supporting people to stay in their communities is a key objective of the Promoting Independence Strategy. We hope the arrangement will support people to build personal resilience and combat loneliness by delivering the following 3 functions. 1. To proactively reach the right people in need and understanding individual needs/strengths, supporting individuals to meet needs / utilise strengths through linking to interventions. 2. To enable communities to provide their own solutions to reduce loneliness (for example, through asset based community development) 3. To support provision of direct interventions to individuals. The estimate given is for the initial 3 years, but it is likely that the Council will want to extend the arrangement if it is successful and there is funding available. We wish to meet with interested parties to discuss this opportunity at the event detailed below.