Report to:	Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Date of meeting:	3 October 2023
By:	Director of Adult Social Care and Health
Title:	East Sussex Carers Centre – contract extension
Purpose:	To seek Lead Member approval to implement the full two-year extension option for this contract

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Lead Member is recommended to:

(1)  Agree to implementation of the full two-year extension to the East Sussex Carers Centre contract; and

(2)  Delegate authority to the Director of Adult Social Care and Health to take all necessary actions to give effect to the implementation of the above recommendation.

1          Background

1.1       The contract for the East Sussex Carers Centre is currently held by Care for the Carers as our Strategic Partner delivering a range of services to carers. East Sussex Carers Centre offers information, advice, support, peer support groups, engagement opportunities, counselling, Carers Card (emergency plan, discounts), respite funding for healthcare appointments and training.

1.2       The current contract term of 5.5 years ends on 31 March2025 and there is an option for a two-year extension.

2          Supporting information

2.1       Since the contract started, Care for the Carers have additionally taken on targeted support for carers of people with severe mental illness and undertake carers’ reviews on behalf of Adult Social Care (ASC). Care for the Carers manage the small grants funding on behalf of ASC which delivers a range of carer services provided by other organisations including dementia training, cookery & arts activities, targeted support for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) carers, carer support in hospices, digital support, lunch & supper clubs. From October 2023, Care for the Carers will take over the commissioning of the volunteer respite service delivered by the Association of Carers from ASC.

2.2       NHS funding has also been added to the contract to provide carer identification and targeted support through primary care in Hastings and the Havens and carer awareness in hospital although this funding is only committed on a year-on-year basis.

Funding

2.3       The table below sets out the current contractual funding subject to any uplift in future years.

		2023/24	NOTES	24/25	NOTES	25/26	NOTES	26/27	NOTES
Main contract	Annual Fee for Service	£439,658	70% of total contract value	£376,850	60% of total contract value	£376,850	60% of total contract value	£376,850	60% of total contract value
	Outcome Payments	£188,425	30% of total contract value	£251,233	40% of total contract value	£251,233	40% of total contract value	£251,233	40% of total contract value
Contract additions	Mental Health carers	£91,815		£91,815		£91,815		£91,815
	Carers Reviews	£70,030		£70,030		£70,030		£70,030
	Small Grants	£255,653		£255,653		£255,653		£255,653
	Association of Carers	£105,134	Oct 23-Mar 24	£210,268		£210,268		£210,268
NHS funding	Primary Care Hastings	£105,317	NHS uplift TBC	TBC		TBC		TBC
	Primary Care The Havens	£105,000	NHS uplift TBC	TBC		TBC		TBC
	Hospital awareness	£50,000	year 1 of funding	TBC		TBC		TBC
Total funding		£1,411,041		£627,766		£627,766		£627,766

3          Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

3.1       Given the successful partnership work between the Council, Care for the Carers and the NHS, it is recommended that the full two-year extension is agreed for this contract within the existing financial envelope and subject to a review of the current specification to ensure that the service continues to meet the needs of carers in East Sussex.

3.2       Future recommissioning options will be explored before a decision to tender the contract is made.

3.3       The Lead Member is therefore recommended to:

(1) Agree implementation of the full two-year extension to the East Sussex Carers Centre contract; and

(2) Delegate authority to the Director of Adult Social Care and Health to take all necessary actions to give effect to the implementation of the above recommendation.

MARK STAINTON

Director of Adult Social Care and Health

Contact Officer: Tamsin Peart
Tel. No. 07881 282732
Email: tamsin.peart@eastsussex.gov.uk