• The Edinburgh Joint Integration Board (EIJB) is awarding 10 new contracts to provide information, care and support for unpaid carers.

  • £17m will be invested over the maximum 8-year term of the contracts – the largest ever investment associated with carer support in Edinburgh – and builds on the valued support already provided.

  • There will be 4 lead providers, with a total of 12 larger and smaller organisations delivering in partnership, ensuring long-term security for our valued carer organisations.

  • The services offer a range of support from identifying carers, short breaks, health and wellbeing support, to advice for parent carers and young carers, and associated support.

Meeting carers’ needs

The EIJB is responsible for the strategic planning of Edinburgh’s health and social care and has long recognised the value of unpaid carers and the importance of the support required to ensure that carers can continue their caring role.

As part of the EIJB’s strategic plan and their commitment to carers in Edinburgh, the EIJB approved the Edinburgh Joint Carer Strategy 2019-22 and a £17m investment to meet its six priority areas:

  • Identifying Carers
  • Information and advice
  • Carer health and wellbeing
  • Short Breaks
  • Young Carers
  • Personalising support for carers

This is the largest investment ever associated with carer support in Edinburgh.

The new contracts for young adult and adult carers will commence from 1 January 2021, with the exception of young carers support, which will begin a contract from 1 October 2020, with an additional investment of just under £500k.

Angus McCann, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, said:

“The Edinburgh Integration Joint Board is committed to providing services for young and adult carers that are personalised and offer choice within the communities where they live. As part of the EIJB’s ‘Three Conversations Approach”, the 10 new contracts focus on delivering what matters most to carers and recognise the value in connecting people to the strengths and assets of community networks as early as possible.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths MBE, Carer’s Champion for City of Edinburgh Council, added:

“We expect to see an increase in the number of carers in the city over the coming years as a direct result of predicted changes in Edinburgh’s population, and our ability to get better at identifying carers. It’s important that we continue to provide the right support, in the right place, at the right time for them and recognise the significant work that they do. I am delighted that the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board has recognised this with such a significant commitment to fund carers support for the next 8 years”

Delivering carer support across the city

The carer support services will be spread across different areas of Edinburgh, providing the geographical presence and variety of support required to deliver against Edinburgh’s Joint Carer Strategy.

This also ensures that the £17m funding is used efficiently to reach as many carers as possible.

The consolidated services have been informed by the national and local context, local priorities and associated areas for improvement, in conjunction with carers and providers, with the key aim of improving outcomes for carers.

The impact of this additional investment will be reported annually and one of the key performance indicators will be measuring the increase in the % of carers who feel supported to continue in their caring role.

Supporting smaller suppliers in Edinburgh

The carer support services will be delivered by a range of large and small providers. There will be 4 lead providers, with a total of 12 larger and smaller organisations delivering the new contracts in partnership.

During the comprehensive commissioning and procurement process, providers were encouraged to work in partnership to provide cohesive, easily identified local services for carers. Larger organisations took the lead role in partnership bids, and over the next 8 years a number of smaller businesses will provide services to Edinburgh’s carers through their partnerships with the larger organisations.

This approach ensures that carers receive a range of local support, enabling them to continue to provide the highest quality of care and support for the people they care for.

The contracts will provide security for providers and ensure the sustainability of support services to Edinburgh carers. The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, responsible for delivering health and social care in Edinburgh on behalf of the EIJB, will work with providers to ensure continuous improvement throughout the duration of the contracts.

The carer support being provided

The carer information and support services being provided across all the contracts for young carers, young adult carers, adult and parent carers include:

Key focus Explanation of the focus of the service
Identifying Carers, Information and Advice This will include; working with businesses and employers to raise awareness of Carers, Carer Positive Employers Award, supporting Carers in the workplace and training to various stakeholders within the City of Edinburgh and offering an accessible face to face and digital service of information and advice on topics relevant to carers.
Carer Health and Wellbeing The service provider will work in partnership with a range of carer organisations to provide and coordinate a range of health and wellbeing supports for adult carers.
Short Breaks Programme The service will provide a range of overnight, day and evening breaks for adult carers.
Short Breaks Fund The service provider will manage a short breaks fund, providing all carers, access to funds to be able to arrange flexible and creative breaks from caring.
Edinburgh Carer Support Team Locality services

 

(North East, North West, South East and South West)

 The service shall provide personalised support for adult carers in the specific locality, who have requested support through one of the EHSCP partnership pathways (via GP or Social Care Direct) or have been identified by EHSCP staff.
Young Adult Carers The service will identify young adult carers and provide information, advice and support. A young adult carer is someone who is 16 – 25 years old and no longer at school.
Young Carers Support The service will; provide support to school staff across Edinburgh to develop a network of Young Carers Coordinators, ensure that Young Carer Statements are completed and provide appropriate, personalised support to young carers.
Parent Carers The service will offer specialist information and advice for adult parent carers, offer and prepare adult carer support plans and support adult parent carers to maintain their health and wellbeing.