Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care seeking approval for the award of the Adult Carer Support Service to Mencap Southampton as the total value for the life of the contract requires approval.

(i)  To approve the award of the contract to Support Services For Adult Carers in the City of Southampton to Tenderer A to commence on 1^st September 2014 for a period of 3 years.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Director of People, following consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to enter into a Section 256 agreement with Southampton City Clinical Commissioning group for a period concurrent with the Support Services For Adult Carers contract.

1. Through the award of this contract for the Adult Carer service there will be a move away from the current short term and ad hoc funding approach currently in place for a number of services.
2. Through the award of this contract the new Young Carer service will be able to continue to provide current level of high quality support while incorporating new initiatives in line with emerging evidence.
3. The new service for adult carers will streamline current provision while expanding the identification, advice, information and support provided to the increasing number of unpaid carers.  It substantially increase the number of carers identified from April 2014, rising from under 3,000 to over 5,000 by March 2015. This will be supported by the creation of a single contact point for advice and information for all adult carers in Southampton. The new service will provide good practice, reduce duplication and address gaps. These changes and improvements will ensure services help carers to be healthy; and promote their wellbeing both physically and mentally.
4. The new service for young carers will continue to provide a high quality targeted service to young carers in Southampton. The service will provide individual and group support to young carers to support them to attend school, achieve equivalent educational levels as their peers, have access to mainstream leisure activities and are supported in maintaining their family and personal relationship. The new Young Carer service has been reviewed and developed through this procurement to align with two key priorities in the Council plan 2013-16, which will raise the ambitions and improve outcomes for children and young people; including the reduction of school absence rates and the gap in attainment, Improve health and keep young people safe; including improvement in the safeguarding of vulnerable children and young people, improved health and reduced health inequalities and a reduced number of young people entering the criminal justice system.

For the reasons detailed above other possible alternative options were discounted.

None.