Responsible service

Planning, Performance and Quality Assurance.

What is the policy/strategy/function/trying to achieve/do?

Dependent on a number of factors, including overall contract value, local authorities are required to Tender, on a cyclical basis - in order to procure services, in a way that seeks to ensure that any suppliers identified, are those best suited to provide the services being sought and that they offer Best Value.

The Procurement of carer-focused services is seeking to ensure that:

• Adult Carers and Young Carers are empowered and enabled to continue caring.
• Statutory requirements set out in the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Social Care (Scotland) Self Directed Support Act 2013 are met.
• The aims of the National Carers Strategy 2022 and North Lanarkshire Carers Strategy (2024-2027) are met.

If this is a budget saving, how will the saving be achieved?

The Procurement Exercise in itself is not aimed at achieving a budget saving. However, through the promotion of preventative approaches and anticipatory planning with carers, the overall aim is to reduce incidence of crisis, which in turn should result in a reduction of crisis led intervention, which is often high cost, both financially, and, more importantly, in human terms and costs.

If this policy is subject to the FSD, what does it suggest about the impact or potential impact on socio-economic disadvantage? (please refer to FSD Interim Guidance)

N\A

Give details of the impact it has on groups and individuals.

The Procurement is aimed at improving the support given to carers of all ages, including carers with protected characteristics, and is anticipated as having positive benefits for all carers in contact with services, as well as raising awareness of caring-related issues and rights with those carers not currently aligned to carer focused support.

What actions/measures will be put in place or are planned to mitigate any adverse impact or promote equality?

Extensive engagement and participation activity and processes took place, as part of the development of the current 2024-2027 North Lanarkshire Carers Strategy, on which the Procurement approach and evaluation is based.

Carers with lived experience of caring, across a range of caring situations will be involved in formal evaluation of bids.

Ongoing carer involvement through carer advisory groups will help to ensure that the carer-focused support and services identified through the Procurement process remain focused on progressing Equal Partners in Care (EPIC) outcomes.

What is the result/recommendations of the EqIA?

The Procurement of carer-focused support and services should continue as planned with no adverse impacts identified through the EqIA.