Councillors and committees

Agenda item

SURREY CARERS STRATEGY 2021-24

The report is provided in accordance with Priorities 1-3 of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

 

Minutes:

Witnesses:

 

Sue Tresman - Independent Carers Lead, Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System

Adam Watkins - Senior Joint Carers Lead (Carer Contingency Planning), Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System

Anna Waterman - Head of Commissioning for Disabilities, Autism and Carers (SCC)

 

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    The Independent Carers Lead (Surrey Heartlands ICS) highlighted:

·         the inclusive working model across Surrey and its Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs), working with carers in developing the Strategy to ensure that their experiences arising from living and caring for family members were at the heart of the Strategy and the development of support services for carers across Surrey.

·         her role in overseeing the ongoing governance and evaluation of the objectives of the Strategy through the Carers Strategic Partnership Board and proposed commissioning arrangements.

·         the new Senior Commissioning Manager for Carers (SCC).

2.    The Senior Joint Carers Lead (Carer Contingency Planning) (Surrey Heartlands ICS) explained that:

·         the Strategy presented a joint vision for unpaid carers across the system, in which carers should be recognised, valued and supported both in their caring role and as an individual; that carers would be respected as partners in care, that they would have a strong voice that influences improvement and would equally be able to access the support they needed in the way that worked best for them.

·         the Strategy set out system-wide ambitions and commitments, whilst also being place-based and aligned to local provision.

·         a Young Carers Strategy focusing on the needs of young carers was in its advanced stage of development and would be aligned with the Strategy to ensure an all-ages approach to unpaid carers.

·         the Strategy had been driven by a process of ongoing engagement with ICPs, Borough and District Councils, the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) and other community groups, as a shared set of values and priorities was a key enabler to achieving consistency across the system - normalising the work of unpaid carers across the system.

·         delivery of the Strategy would be monitored through the system-wide action plan and local action plans under development.

·         a joint ‘carers dashboard’ was being developed, with work underway through the Carers Strategic Partnership Board, with the creation of a Carers Co-production Action Group being explored.

·         in response to feedback, a citizen-friendly document would be developed, and an Easy Read version has been commissioned.

·         subject to the Strategy’s approval, communications teams would work on a launch plan which would include key messaging through other media such as short videos.

3.    The Head of Commissioning for Disabilities, Autism and Carers (SCC) noted that:

·         the carers budget in Surrey was allocated out of the Better Care Fund - £6.5 million - pooled across health and social care, the spending was monitored by the Carers Strategic Commissioning Group and the Carers Strategic Partnership Board.

·         going forward to realise the commitments set out in the Strategy it was vital to ensure robust governance across the system-wide action plan and local action plans.

·         contracts and grant agreements for a range of commissioned carers services would end in March 2022 and so a re-procurement exercise would begin in September to look at the right services for carers going forward and to realise the commitments in the Strategy - there would be a market engagement event on 10 June.

·         it was vital to recognise the impacts of Covid-19 on carers as part of the wider determinants of health approach, as carers have provided a greater share of health and social care throughout the pandemic and additional funding was set aside for carers breaks with carers receiving a 5% uplift for inflation across contracts.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the relevant Proper Officer(s) in consultation with the Chairman:

1.    Approved the Surrey Carers Strategy 2021-24.

2.    Supported and promoted the implementation of the Surrey Carers Strategy 2021- 24 as the Surrey-wide strategy to inform the ongoing development, delivery and improvement of services for carers in Surrey.

3.    Adopted the values identified in the Surrey Carers Strategy 2021-24, which were developed in partnership with carers and partners across Surrey.

4.    Agreed the strategic priorities 2021-24, which were developed based on what carers have said matters most and would make the biggest difference to them, and the specific commitments made in order to deliver against these priorities.

5.    Supported the proposal for delivering the Surrey Carers Strategy 2021-24, which will see the development of a system-wide and local action plans, and the monitoring of the strategy through the Carers Strategic Partnership Board and the Joint Carers Strategic Commissioning Group.

6.    Noted and agreed the proposal for the development of a Young Carers Strategy, which will dovetail with the Surrey Carers Strategy to create a truly all-ages approach.

 

Actions/further information to be provided:

 

None.

 

Supporting documents: