Health and social work services

Tender description

Cornwall Council and NHS Kernow work with informal carers to help them access the right support they need with their caring role. This is for both adult and young carers. Current contractual arrangements for services that support informal carers end in June 2021. Cornwall Council is therefore conducting a soft market test to gain an understanding of the potential level of interest in providing the all age informal carers service from 1 July 2021. More information can be found on the following websites: www.cornwall.gov.uk/adultcarers https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/carers/young-carers/ An adult carer is ‘somebody who provides support or who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their age, physical or mental illness, or disability. This would not usually include someone paid or employed to carry out that role, or someone who is a volunteer’ (Care Act, 2014). The term young carer should be taken to include children and young people under 18 who provide regular or ongoing care and emotional support to a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misuses substances. Fundamental to this service is ensuring that all carers including working carers and young carers are identified early and have access to quality information and support covering health, economic and social wellbeing; as well as, a carer’s assessment and a carer’s support plan and, the service meets the outcomes co-produced by carers and practitioners. In addition, children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive to enjoy positive childhoods. The Care Act 2014 places a statutory duty on local authorities to carry out a carer’s assessment if a carer has support needs or may have in the future. The assessment considers the impact of caring on the carer and the things that a carer wants to achieve in their own day-to-day life to stay independent for as long as possible. this includes interventions to help people to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. The current adult carers service has supported 12 587 in the past 4 years, of the 63 000 unpaid carers self-identified in 2011 census. Carer’s assessments completed form the substantial number of personal health budgets provided in Cornwall. This equates to over 2 000 personal health budgets completed a year. The current young carers and young adult carers service is up to the age of 25 supporting 2 278 children and young people. The young carers service transitions to the young adult carers service at 17 years. The youngest child supporting a family member is 5 years old and therefore the activities, group work and 1-1s for the young carers service must be age appropriate, adhere to all safeguarding policies when working with children and young people and be tailored to the various key transitions through childhood into adulthood.