Wokingham Council Adult Services have decided that more than 30% additional funding was needed from April for unpaid carers.
This new service required a new tender process.
A new service specification was co-produced with local carers attending Carers Rights Day, listening to what carers want. The specification also covered both young and adult carers under one contract.
A robust competitive tender process saw Adult Services evaluate three bids from potential providers with input from a carer with lived experience. A new Carers Support and Guidance Service with the Wokingham Carers Partnership will now be in place from Saturday, April 1.
The Wokingham Carers Partnership consists of three local voluntary sector organisations all with a track-record of working locally with carers: Age UK Berkshire, Promise Inclusion, and Berkshire Youth.
Age UK Berkshire will be the lead organisation, while specialist input for Learning disability Carers will be provided by Promise Inclusion. Berkshire Youth will provide specialist input for Young Carers (under 18).
Working with local providers will provide synergy and integration with existing Voluntary Sector initiatives, thereby reducing the need for people to access multiple services, as well as improving the identification of carers in the borough.
The Key Features of the New Specification are: Information produced in the right format, at the right time; In-person, face to face support and guidance when carers need it; Help for carers to stay emotionally and physically capable of continuing their caring role.
The service will provide support to the community in the following four areas: Identifying and Recognising Carers, making sure everyone has a voice; Empowering Carers; Enabling Carers to have a Life outside their Caring Role; Support for Young Carers.
As said this new service has been built on co-production, carers saying what they want and being heard. This Co-Production will continue after the launch of the service on April 1.
It is envisaged that New Carers will join the existing Carers Voices group and contribute to co-production.
The Service KPIs will be agreed with Carers Voices and the Social Care Futures Board will continue to be updated, providing input into the delivery of the service as it develops.
If this is going to be a carers support service carers must be fundamentally involved in its creation and functioning.
Wokingham Adult Services saw the problems carers often have, juggling care and work or education, dealing with financial pressures, looking after themselves or accessing appropriate support and has stepped up to try to meet the need and support carers as they deserve.
This new service will try to make sure we:
• Identify all carers in our area, sharing this information appropriately between health, social care and other professionals.
• Improve the support available to carers of all ages, recognising that the support offered to young carers may be different to support for adults.
• Helping carers access support, including ways to look after their own health and wellbeing, so they can continue to provide care in the way that they wish to.
• We are, hopefully, changing the way we work to empower carers to be an active participant in shaping the personalised care and support plans that are developed for the people they care for.
• Wokingham Adult services work across our system to share best practice and promote a consistent level of support for all carers.
This new service is looking to ensure that Carers experience a consistent level of seamless support, while trying to ensure that the health and wellbeing of all carers is improved.
Cllr David Hare is the Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Services
