Young Carers Service

Tender description

Kent County Council (KCC) is looking for an organisation or a consortium of organisations, to deliver a countywide Young Carers Service. This includes a recurring statutory requirement for KCC, as defined under Section 96 of the Children and Families Act 2014, to ensure young carers and their families are identified and their needs for support are assessed. The aim of the Young Carers Service will be to: 1. Increase the identification and assessment of young carers in Kent. 2. Provide young carers some respite from their caring responsibilities. 3. Help reduce the risk of their situation escalating. 4. Improve the quality of young carers' lives. In raising awareness, the Young Carers Service will include training for the wider workforce (schools, agencies and professionals that may be in contact with young carers) in how to identify and assess young carers. Direct and ongoing support for young carers and their families will include developing, monitoring, and reviewing action plans for young carers, and advocating on behalf of young carers and/or their families, when appropriate. The Young Carers Service will deliver a service tailored to the needs of young carers, offering a range of activities and support, including virtual support, to be delivered in a timely fashion. This will include 1:1 support and mentoring as well as support in groups. The Young Carers Service will ensure young carers have access to information, support, and respite activities as well as opportunities to make friends, go on trips, meet other young carers, and engage with other activities within the school or community. The financial envelope for the Young Carers Service is £325,500 per annum. The contract will run for three years from 1/05/2022, with the option to extend for a further two years on a one-plus-one basis. Kent County Council is committed to ensuring fairness, openness, and transparency and to following EU procurement regulations.