Marketing event in North Somerset for carer support services tender

Supporting young and adult carers is a serious commitment for North Somerset Council and NHS North Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group. A marketing event is being held by the council on 10 July 2013 in Weston-super-Mare to provide further details about a forthcoming tender for carer support services. The event is aimed at interested potential bidders. The new services will support young and adult carers who look after someone who could not manage without their help. NHS North Somerset has made a significant financial contribution to cost of the service.

There are more than 22,000 carers in North Somerset within a population of over 202,000. More than 300 young carers are known to existing young carer services in the area but the 2011 census identified 1,291 carers aged 0-24. North Somerset has a mix of rural areas with several larger towns, presenting the challenge of identifying and supporting those who live outside the major conurbations of Portishead, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare and Nailsea.

The aim of the new service for adult carers is to enable them to sustain the caring role if they are willing and able for as long as possible. The aim of the service for young carers is to identify and support them; to ensure that they achieve their educational potential and have the same life chances as all other children; and to promote wider recognition of their needs, skills and achievements.

The services will be offered on four year contracts with an option to extend for a further year. The total value of the adult and young carers’ services is estimated to be in the region of £290,000 – £318,000 pa.

Key aspects of the adult carer support service will be: