Carer Support Services (Carers Community Navigation & Carer Short Breaks)

Kent County Council and NHS Kent & Medway Integrated Care Board are seeking to re-procure a Carers Support Service which is aimed at supporting unpaid carers within the county on expiry of two contracts for Carers Community Navigation Service and Carers Short Breaks service. Currently, the Carers Community Navigation service is delivered by three providers covering different geographical locations in Kent, whereas the Carers Short Breaks service is delivered by one provider covering the whole of Kent. Service Users presenting in both services should receive a Carers Assessment. Our intention is to consolidate these services to make them more easily accessible to Carers and build stronger links between aspects of these services and deliver integrated service provision to Service Users.

Carers Community Navigation

Adult Carers are entitled to an assessment regardless of the amount or type of care that they provide, their financial means and/or their own level of support needs, and whether or not the adult that they care for has had a Care Assessment. The Carers Community Navigation service provides both the statutory Carer Assessment function and more general support for carers, including support to:

• access information, advice and guidance; and integrated, personalised services.
• have a life of their own, maintaining social contacts and personal relationships.
• optimise their physical and emotional wellbeing, enjoying separate social and community activities.
• participate in work, leisure activities or education.
• promote and support their financial wellbeing.
• provide support to maintain good health as appropriate.
• have a voice about services for their Cared-for-person and for themselves.

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Carer Short Breaks

The Carers Short Break service is delivered to the Cared-for-person for the benefit of the Carer, allowing them respite from their care duties for a short period of time.

At present, the Carer Short Breaks service is open to any unpaid adult Carer, regardless of whether they have had a Carers Assessment or if they are known to the Community Navigation Service.

The service consists of the following components:

• Crisis Short Breaks response through professional referral
• Self-Referral Health appointment service
• Carer’s Planned Short Breaks

Support is in the form of replacement care services delivered in the Cared-for-person’s home, which enable the Carer to take regular planned breaks and/or attend their own health appointments.

The support provided to the Cared-for-person is dependent on the needs of the individual, but may include:

• Support with daily living
• Regulated personal care
• Specialist care tasks
• Supporting the administration of medication
• Help with preparing light meals

The Council would like to hear from organisations which may be interested in tendering for this opportunity, to discuss ideas about how a Carers Support Service may be structured. Our aim is to ensure that these services are most effectively and efficiently delivered, to meet KCC’s statutory duties, and to ensure all Carers receive a Carers Assessment and the ongoing support they require.

KCC will be holding an initial virtual Market Engagement Session on the Tuesday 16th July at 2pm to discuss the services and our commissioning intentions in more detail, and to obtain feedback from the market which will help shape the new model. This session will last approximately 60-90 minutes. There will be potential for future 1:1 sessions depending on demand and availability, these will be limited and on a first come first serve basis.

If your organisation is interested in potentially delivering this service, please ‘Register an Interest’ in this PIN; you will then be sent a Microsoft Teams invite via the Kent Business Portal for the virtual session.

A pre-market engagement questionnaire can be found here: forms.office.com/e/Z4kkJTP9A9 ↗ Please could any interested suppliers complete this webform prior to the Market Engagement Session.