Agenda item

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Health and Community seeking approval to transfer the Carers’ Centre to the Voluntary Sector and outlining the future of Carers’ Services within Halton.

 

It was noted that, since the opening of the Carers’ Centres in 2004, it had been the intention that the management of the Centres by the Local Authority would only be a temporary arrangement until a voluntary sector organisation could be identified to undertake it in order to ensure that carers would be able to maximise their access to funding streams, for example lottery funding, that otherwise would not have been accessible by the Centres under Local Authority control.

 

During the last 12 months, a number of activities, including meetings and consultation events, had taken place to identify the options and their associated advantages and disadvantages for the future provision of Carers’ Services within Halton. During this time it had been highlighted that, whichever approach was adopted, it would need to safeguard the financial future of Halton Carers’ Centre, improve and expand the services provided, and be acceptable to Halton and St. Helens Primary Care Trust, to Halton Borough Council, and to local carers. It was subsequently decided that the future provision of Carers’ Services be independently assessed and three options had been examined regarding future provision:

 

1)         no change;

 

2)            establish a Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Centre in Halton; or

 

3)         merge with Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Centre in St. Helens.

 

Following widespread consultation it was agreed that the most favourable option would be option 2 – “Establish a Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Centre in Halton” - for the following reasons:

 

• as a charitable organisation the Centre would be able to access different funding streams, which the Local Authority was currently unable to; and

 

• an independent Carers’ Centre would not just be a provider of services but would be an important means of ensuring the voice of carers was heard. Carers within Halton would have a direct input in to how the Centres were managed and the services provided there.

 

Further information was provided in respect of the possible location of the Centre and it was advised that the Princess Royal Trust had agreed to the closure of the Carers’ Centre located in the Age Concern building and the exploration of alternative sites in Widnes whilst awaiting the outcome of a lottery proposal. It was recognised that carers would prefer to see two centres within Halton, one in Runcorn and one in Widnes, and this aspiration would be incorporated into the Carers’ Centre three year business plan to be prepared in conjunction with the Princess Royal Trust operating from the Runcorn site in the medium term.

 

The financial implications were outlined for the Board’s consideration, in particular the request that Procurement Standing Orders be waived to enable the Authority to enter into a three-year service level agreement to continue to provide Carers Services from the point of transfer for a three-year period. In addition, it was noted that the cost of running one centre exceeded the current costs of running two. It was confirmed that this was due to the anticipated improvements in the service.

 

Reasons for Decision

 

The proposed changes in the provision of Carers Services within Halton demonstrated that the Council recognised the importance of carers’ issues and ensured that the services provided to them would be maximised.

 

An independent Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Centre in Halton would be able to access new funding streams and, most importantly, would be able to offer an independent service to carers and provide an opportunity to develop more innovative and tailored provision enabling them to reach out to a wider range of carers.

 

The Centre would also be in a strong position to effectively respond to the increased national agenda around carers culminating in the publication of the new National Carers’ Strategy during 2008.

 

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

 

Alternative options considered regarding the future provision of Carers’ Services included:

 

1)         No change – i.e. the management of the Centres would continue to be provided by the Local Authority. The main reasons for this option being rejected included that, if the Centres remained in Local Authority control, it would prove difficult to access sources of funding that could be accessed by voluntary organisations or registered charities, for example lottery funding. Also, by not being managed by the Local Authority, the Centre would be able to offer a more independent service to carers, which may enable the Centre to be more effective in reaching carers who were at present “hidden”.

 

2)         Merge with Princess Royal Trust for Carers Centre in St. Helens – the main reasons for this option being rejected were that, in the view of carers and groups consulted, if a merger took place there was then the potential for services to carers in Halton to become diluted in favour of St. Helens.

 

Implementation Date

 

The aim would be to establish the independent Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Centre in Halton by 1^st July 2008. This date would coincide with the planned closure of the Widnes site.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

(1)       the Council’s three year financial commitment to the running of the Carers’ Centre in the sum of £160,000 in year 1, £164,000 in year 2, and £168,000 in year 3 be approved with the additional funding being met from the Carers Grant and the Primary Care Trust;

 

(2)       the closure of the Widnes Carers Centre outlet, co-located in the Age Concern building, be approved;

 

(3)       the Strategic Director – Health and Community, in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Health, be authorised to award the contract for the provision of Carer Services to Halton Carers Centre in the sum of approximately £160,000 per annum over the period April 2008 to March 2011 and that, in light of the exceptional circumstances, namely that the Centre is the only available  provider of the range of Carers’ services required to the people of Halton, and in accordance with Procurement Standing Order 1.6, Standing Orders 3.1 to 3.7 and 3.10 be waived on this occasion; and

 

(4)       the Strategic Director – Health and Community, in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Health, be authorised to take such action as may be necessary to give effect to the Carers Centre to provide Carer Services to the people of Halton.