Provision of a Dementia Advisor Service

NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board (GICB) seeks expressions of interest from suitably qualified organisations that have the necessary capability and capacity to provide a Dementia Advisor Service in Gloucestershire. Dementia is a progressive life-limiting condition with symptoms, care and support needs that change over time. People with dementia often have other long-term conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, frailty; a number of practitioners and services will be involved in supporting their health and social care needs alongside those of informal carers and family. To ensure that people with dementia experience person-centred care, it is important that they and their family are engaged in planning their support plan at the earliest opportunity and have a key contact for ongoing information, advice and guidance. In 2009/10 Gloucestershire's dementia services were restructured following joint health and social care investment to reflect the recommendations of the National Dementia Strategy (NDS). The Managing Memory Together service established a hub and spoke Memory Assessment Service, Carers Support & Education, Community Dementia Nurse Team. There was also investment in Mental Health Liaison to support acute & community hospitals, care homes, the county-wide Dementia Training & Education and to introduce a Nurse Consultant post. Key NDS themes also addressed improving engagement with those living with dementia and Voluntary & Community Services (VCS) to strengthen support for families when the individual's need did not require health and social care interventions - described as peer support and piloted locally by introducing a Dementia Advisor role. Those providing peer support would have a degree of lived experience in caring for dementia and could offer regular contact from memory loss concerns to end of life and provide advice, guidance and signposting with a local focus. This supported the principle of valuing the individual with dementia, described as personhood by Tom Kitwood in 1992, offering individuals the opportunity to be visible and contribute to their neighbourhood. Aims and objectives of service  The DA Service will be delivered county-wide and be able to adapt the service offer at neighbourhood level to support local delivery arrangements that are in place or anticipated.  The DA Service will focus on delivering holistic, person-centred support based on personal goals using a strengths-based approach.  The DA Service will work with ICS partners to strengthen the support for individuals to live in their community well with dementia, and for informal carers/family to support and care well in the community  The DA service will engage and work with ICS partners to ensure care is personalized and coordinated This will be underpinned by use of personalised outcome tools such as MyCAW and motivational interview techniques  The service will enable individuals and their informal carers/family to access low-level community resources for sustained support  Staff delivering the Dementia Advisor (DA) service will have appropriate skills and knowledge for supporting those with dementia: o dementia training: all staff will have Tier 1 dementia awareness and those in direct contact with those living with dementia will have Tier 2 basic skills that are compliant with Dementia Training Standards Framework www.skillsforhealth.org.uk and Gloucestershire's Dementia Training And Education Strategy o Staff will be confident and competent in supporting individuals to improve their health and wellbeing, and to self-manage their condition as appropriate and able. o Safeguarding o Mental capacity o Equality and diversity o Confidentiality  The Dementia Advisor service will be able to carry a high caseload and ensure that there is a regular review of support offered to individuals and families according to need and preference  The service will have capacity to support on average 1600 individuals per month, providing active support to 1250 individuals with around a further 350 individuals being offered minimal maintenance support.  The average DA caseload will be of 200 individuals supported using a range of contact: telephone, email, letter, home visit, video calls or contact at a group activity  The DA service: o will offer broad access to the service and will have a timely response to referrals o will offer a range of interventions according to the preference of individual. For example; telephone, email, face to face or group activity o advice and guidance will draw on range of resources that are evidence based, culturally appropriate and aligned with the Gloucestershire Dementia Strategy's key messages o will proactively engage with communities to identify and understand issues and challenges in accessing the service. The service will align with the local Dementia Strategy in improving accessible and appropriate support to those who are isolated, younger or members of minority ethnic groups o will support an individual's family/friends to care by educating, training and providing information resources as well as signposting to other countywide opportunities  The DA service plays a key role in the Gloucestershire Integrated Care System's (ICS) Dementia Strategy and will: o commit to local priorities and standards for dementia care. For example: information governance, personalised care, shared care o complement Gloucestershire's health and social care dementia service, supporting the principles of integration and multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach o engage with ICS partners to support One Gloucestershire Ageing Well Programme aims NHS Gloucestershire ICB is seeking to enter into a contract with the preferred bidder for an initial period of 3-years with an option to extend for a further 2-year period. NHS Gloucestershire ICB expects that the service provided will represent value for money. The successful bidder will receive an annual contract value of £190,848 for the contract period (including the 2-year extension option). Organisations interested in providing this service should register on the In-Tend e-procurement portal (https://in-tendhost.co.uk/gloucestershireccg) and express interest no later than 5pm, Wednesday 19 April 2023. Associated Invitation to Tender (ITT) documentation will then be made available for bidding organisations to access. Completed ITT submissions must be returned via the In-Tend portal no later than noon, Friday 28 April 2023.