[A]t a meeting today, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet awarded a contract worth nearly £6million to support carers, of all ages, across the whole of Cumbria.
The contract has been issued locally to ‘Carers Support Cumbria’ a Cumbria based non-profit consortium consisting of: Carlisle Carers, Eden Carers, Furness Carers, South Lakeland Carers and West Cumbria Carers. This new contract builds on the service they offered previously.
The investment means that carers in Cumbria will continue to receive the essential support that they need day to day, as well as the support they need to care for their loved ones. In particular the new contract will provide carers with:
- access to information, advice and guidance
- provide support to keep themselves healthy and well
- access to education, employment and training
- the opportunity to have social time and relaxation
- an essential break from their day to day caring role.
- have appropriate emergency/contingency plans in place to help support and protect those they care for is required
Commenting on the contract award, Cllr Peter Thornton, Cabinet Member for Health and Care Services, said: “Every day carers across our county provide an essential service for the people they love. This service often goes unnoticed and these amazing people are often unseen and invisible in the role that they do. That is why a contract of this nature is so important.
“It provides our carers with the day to day support that they need, as well as support for when they need an essential break themselves. This service is very much part of the ‘whole system’ approach to the delivery of care services across our county and carers are key to helping us meet the challenge of today’s growing care needs. That is why support to our carers, alongside their health and wellbeing is of the upmost importance and this contract will help achieve that.”
This service is jointly commissioned and funded by Cumbria County Council, North Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group and Morecambe Bay Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
