All Age Carers Hub

Cheshire East Council is recommissioning its support offer for carers across the borough. The service will support adult age carers who provide unpaid care and support to family members, friends and neighbours living within Cheshire East.

The Council is currently reviewing its future operating model for supporting unpaid carers and the role of commissioned provision within the wider carers support system. This review has involved extensive engagement and co-production with carers, Adult Social Care, health services, voluntary and community sector organisations, and other key stakeholders. The final scope of the procurement, including the respective roles of commissioned provision, Council-delivered functions and partnership arrangements, will be confirmed following market engagement and completion of the service design process.

Under the Care Act 2014, the Local Authority has a statutory responsibility to identify, assess need and support carers. The Council recognises the vital contribution unpaid carers make to sustaining families, communities, health services and social care and is committed to ensuring carers are recognised, valued and supported as equal partners in care.

The recommissioned service will move beyond a traditional advice and support model, delivering a strengths-based, preventative and outcomes-focused approach that enables carers to maintain their health, wellbeing, independence and quality of life. The service will play a key role in identifying carers, promoting wellbeing and reducing the risk of deterioration in carer wellbeing, reducing loneliness and social isolation, and ensuring carers can access the right support at the right time.

The commissioned service will act as a strategic partner within the wider health and care system, working collaboratively with social care, health partners, voluntary and community sector organisations and people with lived experience to improve outcomes for carers and the people they support. The service will be expected to champion co-production, ensuring carers' voices continue to influence service design, delivery and continuous improvement.

The contract is expected to include:

• Provision of clear, consistent, accessible and tailored information, advice and guidance.
• Proactive and preventative support that is responsive to differing levels of need, including evening and weekend provision.
• Early identification, outreach and engagement with carers.
• Wellbeing, resilience and preventative interventions, including training, skills development and support to access local community-based provision.
• Interventions that enable carers to maintain interests, relationships and opportunities beyond their caring role.
• Training opportunities to upskill carers
• Borough-wide opportunities for peer support, mutual aid and community connection, delivered through a range of accessible channels.
• Digital and innovative approaches to engaging and supporting carers.
• Co-production activity and mechanisms that enable carers to shape and influence local service design and delivery.
• Developing a strong partnership across VCSE, social care and health services.
• Targeted support for carers experiencing inequalities or additional barriers to accessing support.

The contract is anticipated to commence in July 2027 and is expected to run for an initial period of five years, with options to extend