Our commissioning approach for adults, children and families in Gateshead - commissioning priorities 2024-2025

Caregivers provide vital unpaid and irreplaceable support for loved ones and enable the balancing of a fragile care and support economy. They have rights to participate in decision making about the cared for person's services and to have their own needs identified and addressed. These rights were consolidated in the Care Act 2014 and the Children and Families Act 2014. Gateshead Council and the local NHS has commissioned and funded a significant suite of services for unpaid carers over many years.

A full review of existing commissioned services for caregivers has been undertaken during 2023, preparatory to a redesign and recommissioning of services, by way of an open procurement. This will lead to new contracts mobilising on 1st September 2024. The process is led by the council, in conjunction with the ICB and there will be confirmation of the resource plan for funding to 2029, along with the redesigned proposals. In 2023 a revised adults care-givers strategy was produced, providing further context for the recommissioning. A new Gateshead strategy for young caregivers is planned for 2024.

The current level of funding from the NHS for care-givers services is lower than that in 2019, following reduction in NHS funding to joint commissioning of services. However, it is noted that the level of Gateshead system investment in caregivers will remain above that of many other areas in the Northeast and further afield.

The design of new services will draw on intelligence about the impact and use of current provision, feedback from local stakeholders and carers and priorities and best practice nationally. It is likely that priorities for the revised services will include:

• young caregivers
• young adult caregivers
• parent carers
• carers statutory assessments
• information, advice and signposting and carers' wellbeing
• navigating the health and care system
• self-help and mutual support