Young Carers Service

The Coventry Carers Strategy and National Carers Action Plan 2018 heavily focus on the role Young Carers and young adult carers play in the support delivered for adults and siblings. The Care Act 2014 and the Children's and Families Act 2014 enhanced the rights of Young Carers in their access to Young Carers Assessments, moving from an explicit request for an assessment to a duty for the local authority to be actively identifying their Young Carers and offering an assessment of need.

There are an estimated 5000 young people providing care in Coventry and although we know that many of these children will not require substantial support throughout their caring role, many do and require on-going support throughout their childhood to support their caring role. A key role in this, is the identification of Young Carers and raising awareness.

Coventry City Council is recommissioning Young Carers Needs Assessment Service will support the local authority in identifying young carers in the Coventry area and provide young carers / families with information and advice at an early stage.

The Council is looking for innovative approaches to the delivery of this Service which may be either building based or out in the community depending on the needs and requirements of Young Carers. The Service will be person centred and will provide all Young Carers with the opportunity to address any social inclusion issues that may occur through being a Young Carer.

The service will complete statutory "Young Carers Needs Assessments" on behalf of the Council through a delegated responsibility under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

The outcomes of the services for young carers will include:

• Enjoy good physical and mental health
• Are safe and protected from harm
• Enjoy life and achieve their aspirations
• Make a positive contribution to their community
• Achieve economic well-being and are prepared for adulthood

The service will adopt a "Whole Family Approach" taking account of the needs of the whole family and seeking support from relevant agencies and undertaking appropriate signposting

The Service will ensure that the Young Person's voice is at the center of the Service whilst ensuring that positive outcomes are achieved through the delivery of a high-quality service.

The service needs to be located in Coventry to ensure it is accessible to all young people

The service will operate as detailed in the specification. It will be staffed in a flexible way that ensures maximum efficiency of Staff at times when most Young People need the service. Additional information: The initial Contract duration will be 01 April 2023 - 31 March 2028