Feedback from unpaid carers helps shape new approach to commissioning support

A new approach to commissioning the service which provides support and guidance for unpaid carers in Wiltshire has been approved by council leaders.

Wiltshire Council and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Commissioning Board currently jointly fund carer support services. The contract is due to end on 31 March 2024.

The existing contract has been in place for six years and can no longer be extended. The council currently outsources its responsibility to support carers under the Care Act 2014 and the intention is for it to be continued to be outsourced, however the contract requirements have been refreshed following consultation with unpaid carers and professionals.

A carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.

Unpaid care has increased at a faster pace than population growth because of such things as COVID-19 and an ageing population with people living longer with more complex conditions, meaning that more and higher levels of care are needed for longer.

Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said: Most people who have caring responsibilities are proud to be a carer and we are incredibly grateful for their support. They are caring for people they know and care deeply about. To help them carry out their responsibilities they need support and guidance, which helps them to also live a life of their own.

The existing contract has been in place for six years and we are refreshing the contract requirements. The new service specification has been drafted and has been shaped by a number of factors. Most importantly it's feedback from our carers alongside market factors, the impact of COVID-19, learning from the last five years, and our aim to ensure we can build on identifying and supporting young carers.  The new commission will seek to build on achievements made to date and will look to improve outcomes for young carers and young adult carers, improve carer journey pathways particularly for young carers and those carers who receive a statutory carers assessment.

Council leaders approved the commissioning plan for a new All Age Carers Support Service in Wiltshire. This will be a three-year service with a two-year extension option. A tender process will now begin with implementation from April 2024. The carers' pooled budget forms part of the Better Care Fund (BCF) and is aligned with the BCF's vision of ensuring care is delivered as close to home as possible.