The Carers Hub Service

Announcing a new service for carers across Staffordshire and Stoke onTrent

Every day, thousands of people in the city look after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner. Caring can be extremely rewarding but also a very real challenge at times.

The Council historically commissioned a range of services to support carers in the city. While recognising that the services have made a significant difference to the lives of a large number of carers and the people they look after,some agreements had been the same for many years and support for carers was in need of modernisation.Extensive local engagement identified that it could be confusing for carers to know where to go to access the help they needed.

As a result, Staffordshire County and the City Council’s Cabinets made the decision to work together, and with the six Clinical Commissioning Groups in the county, to jointly commission support services for the growing number of carers. The aim was to achieve a more consistent approach, whilst also delivering personalised support to carers, whatever their needs.

As a direct response to the views, needs and aspirations of carers across Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent, and to meet the needs of the recent Care Act (2014) and the Children and Families Act (2014), the two Councils and the six CCGs have worked together and pooled resources to develop a new service, the Carers Hub. Carers and the community have been at the heart of the development and design of the new service, through extensive consultation and engagement.

Following a competitive tender process, PeoplePlus(formerly known as A4e) has been successful in their bid to deliver the service and will work in partnership with local organisations, such as Crossroads Staffordshire, the Stroke Association, the Alzheimer’s Society and Stoke City Football Club.

The Carers Hub will have two physical bases, one in the south of the county and the other in Stoke on Trent, together with up to 20 outreach points and an on line presence. The precise location of the bases and outreach points has yet to be determined and will be communicated as soon as decisions have been made.

The Carers Hub will ensure that there is a single point of contact to coordinate and improve access to local information and support for carers and professionals, and will act as a host for a number of services.

The types of support and services available within the Carers Hub will be:

  • Information, advice and guidance
  • Assessment and support planning
  • Advocacy
  • Personal Wellbeing Budgets
  • Provision of emotional health and wellbeing support
  • Training – for Carers and professionals
  • Promotion and awareness raising
  • Peer and befriending support
  • Crisis prevention
  • Volunteering opportunities
  • Transition support
  • Engagement and Involvement
  • Young carers targeted provision

The Carers Hub will go live on 1 October 2015. Existing services for carers will continue until then. More information will be available as the new service is implemented but if you have any queries meanwhile, please contact:

Stoke on Trent City Council

Gill Smith – Age Well Commissioning

e.

t. 01782 238854

Staffordshire County Council

Jill Stepney

e:

t: 01785 278533

PeoplePlus

Sarah Speddings (Business Development Manager)

m: 07540 673717