Essex County Council: unpaid carers support redesign

Essex County Council is committed to 'helping carers of all ages whose caring duties are impacting most on their wellbeing' (Everyone’s Essex).

The council also recognises that the time and support unpaid carers commit to their loved ones and friends is underestimated and undervalued. In 2020, Carers UK estimated that there are around 13.6 million unpaid carers in the UK, contributing an estimated £193 billion annually to the national economy.

As such, the council took the decision to invest even more funding into a redesign of our offer of support to carers.

The first step of the carers redesign was to give it as strategic framework. Following extensive consultation with carers and partners the council co-produced and published the Essex All-age Carers Strategy 2022. The strategy sets out six commitments to carers. These are:

• to ensure carers can easily access the information, advice, guidance and support when they need it and early into their caring role
• to develop professional practice and processes to improve identification and support to carers
• to improve transitions for carers as they move through specific phases or life events in their caring role
• to ensure carers will have increased opportunity to access good quality support, including opportunities for breaks, to maintain their own wellbeing and those they care for
• to ensure carers’ needs and rights will be understood and recognised across Essex communities
• to ensure carers will be the experts that influence, shape and be involved in the decisions that are intended to improve their support and wellbeing.

These commitments formed the basic objectives of what we wanted our redesigned offer to achieve.

Since the publication of the All-Age Carers Strategy in May 2022, there was extensive engagement with practitioners, system partners, providers and carers of all ages to understand how the above commitments can best be delivered. As a result, ECC developed the Essex Carers Model. The four key components of this model are set out below.

Essex Wellbeing Service as first point of contact

The Council’s Essex Wellbeing Service is delivered by an alliance of specialist organisations whose aim is to help residents be healthy, safe and well, and is now promoted as a first point of contact for unpaid carers since September 2023. Residents can call for support with lifestyle issues such as smoking, social isolation, weight management or help with day-to-day needs. As part of their conversations with people accessing the services, staff work actively to find out if callers are unpaid carers and then ensure they are signposted to the help available.

The Essex Carers core offer of support (ECCOS)

ECCOS is a specialist offer of support for carers, now delivered by the charities Action for Family Carers (West Essex), Essex Carers Support (North Essex) and Carers First (Mid and South Essex) to provide specialist support that includes information, advice and guidance; practical solutions to address specific challenges; and solution-focused interventions such as conflict resolution, mediation and emotional wellbeing support. ECCOS partners are also facilitating regular peer support networks and providing grants to facilitate breaks for carers.

A digital offer for carers

Carers have increased opportunity to engage with and access good quality information, advice and support through our virtual carers offer, which features virtual cuppas, peer support groups, news and information, and direct pathways to specialist support services. This offer has been particularly impactful in identifying previously unknown carers, especially men and working carers who hadn’t identified as carers.

Carers Voice

Carers are now able to share their lived experiences with an independent, countywide engagement team of people employed by Healthwatch to listen to carers views and feed them back to decision makers and encourage them to become involved in the decisions that impact their lives.

Stakeholder engagement and coproduction were key to the success of our project. When launching the strategy, we convened:

• The All-Age Carers Partnership Board: Wider organisations are now better informed about work happening across the system to integrate solutions through the Partnership Board, which meets regularly and brings together commissioners, social care, health, and the voluntary sector around a shared commitment to make change for carers in Essex.
• The Essex Carers Support Project Group: This was a weekly meeting of internal staff from across multiple areas (commissioning, operations, project management, finance, procurement, legal for example). Multi-agency buy-in, led by senior management, ensured the project group-maintained momentum and ambition.
• The Experts by Experience Group: We also engaged with carers directly to co-produce the solution and established a regular focus group with experts by experience. This group provided crucial feedback during the service re-design stage, guiding and shaping the offer through sharing lived experiences. They also provided meaningful involvement in the tender process for ECCOS through evaluating key questions and have remained involved in the ongoing contract monitoring after the service went live. The carers have supported us to maintain our focus on the needs of carers. This group has been supplemented by regular engagement with carers through the Cares Voice service.

All elements of the carers re-designed model have had a significant impact. Below provides an indicative snapshot, while you can download All-Age Carers Strategy: Progress Report: what we’ve achieved over the last two years, a full report of the wider carers programme.

Essex Wellbeing Service as the first point of contact

Between April 2024 – September 2024, the service has engaged with and supported over 600 carers with light touch information, advice and guidance and navigation to specialist support when needed.

“Your support came at a time when I was feeling very low and cut off from society so I would like to say a big thank you”

The Essex Carers Core Offer of Support (ECCOS)

Having listened to what matters to carers, even more support is now available for carers through newly launched services, available since April 2024. Ambitious targets have been set to identify and support more unpaid carers. The target is to support 4,150 carers by April 2025, and 12,500 carers by April 2027. Since going live on April 2024, the providers are on track to achieve the target for this year.

“I am so grateful to have you by my side and for all your support. This will help me to find the strength to keep supporting my mum as well knowing you are behind me and supporting me”

A Digital Offer for Carers

Between December 2022 and August 2024, over 1,000 unpaid carers have used the Mobilise Carers Allowance checker tool. We estimate that if all those identified as eligible went on to claim Carers Allowance, they would be entitled to c.£1.3m per annum. The Mobilise digital platform has received over 65,000 views by carers over the past year, engaged with over 3,600 carers and provided direct support to over 1,000 carers.

“Just to be able to have a laugh with other people who are living really challenging lives and understanding where they’re coming from… it’s been a fabulous thing.”

Carers Voice

1,900 carers have been engaged with since the new involvement team started their work 12 months ago through a range of focus groups, workshops, engagement events and surveys. We now are hearing the voices of previously unheard carers and key themes and issues are being escalated to decision boards.

“I felt listened to and I mattered.”

We have commissioned an independent research partner to carry out a full evaluation on the carers offer to continue learning and development of the service.

A final report of the evaluation will be produced following two years of research, data and insights from carers and partners. This report will enable us to fully assess the personal, economic and social impact of this model and carry any lessons-learned into future commissioning.