Jobs Live Inform

Opportunity to deliver Caring with Confidence to carers in England: call for expressions of interest

October 23, 2008 in Carers

Caring with Confidence (a consortium of five national carers organisationsled by the Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company)invites expressions of interest from suitably experienced organisations toprovide modular training programmes to carers as part of this three-yearDepartment of Health (DH) funded initiative.

The purpose of Caring with Confidence is to offer a range of learningopportunities to enable carers to gain the knowledge, skills and expertisethat can make a positive difference to their lives and that of the peoplethey care for. It is not designed to replace existing provision.

Caring with Confidence is aimed at carers aged 18 years or over, withparticular emphasis on target groups specified by DH. Across the country,at least one third of carers who take part in Caring with Confidence will becarers who are:

  • in receipt of Carers Allowance or caring for 35 hours per week ormore (20 hours per week until 30 August 2009)
  • of black and minority ethnic heritage
  • lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender;

    One third will be carers of:

  • disabled children or adults with complex needs
  • people of black and minority ethnic heritage
  • people living with mental ill-health
  • people with dementia
  • people with long-term conditions
  • people nearing the end of life
  • people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender;

    with the remaining third being any adult carer.

    Carers will be able to mix and match how they further develop theirknowledge and skills – by taking part in one or more free, local modulargroup sessions, by using self learning packs or by accessing onlineresources.

    Caring with Confidence wishes to invite expressions of interest fromorganisations to become licensed providers of Caring with Confidencegroup sessions in one of four ways:

  • As a fully-funded provider (individually or as a lead member of aconsortium) to deliver the full range of Caring with Confidenceprogrammes as new provision in a defined local area where there is ahigher than average density of carers but insufficient current provisionof training for carers
  • As a part-funded provider (individually or as a lead member of aconsortium) to deliver the full range of Caring with Confidenceprogrammes in a defined local area
  • As a non-funded provider (individually or as a lead member of aconsortium) to deliver Caring with Confidence programmes in adefined area
  • As a fully-funded provider to deliver the programme for carers ofthose nearing the end of life as new provision across England

    Further information on these options is available in the pre-qualificationpack, to be sent to potential providers with a pre-qualificationquestionnaire.

    It is anticipated that there will be more applicants for fully-funded andpart-funded services than available funding, so that these providers willbe selected through a second stage tender process following objectiveassessment of responses to the pre-qualification questionnaire.

    In principle, potential providers of non-funded services which fulfilrequired criteria may all be offered licences to deliver services. However,there may be a second tender stage for non-funded services in areaswhere there is more than one potential supplier.

    Expressions of interest should be made no later than 12 noon on14 November 2008 by visiting our website at www.caringwithconfidence.net and following the instructions given.

    Pre-qualification questionnaires to be returned by 28 November 2008.

    Two bidders’ information days are planned (in Manchester on 5 Novemberand in London on 11 November) to provide further information forinterested parties. Details will be sent with the pre-qualification pack.

    The lead administrative organisation for Caring with Confidence is the Expert Patients Programme CommunityInterest Company, company registration no. 05964023 (England and Wales), registered office: 32–36 LomanStreet, Southwark, London SE1 0EH

    • More from Community Care

    Related articles:

    Comments are closed.