Date published: 4 December 2023
Voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) funding for Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, Halton, St Helens and Warrington
Mersey Care’s Participation and Engagement Team has been awarded funding from NHS Charities Together via the Mersey Care NHS Charity, Mersey Cares, to support the long-term health and recovery of NHS staff, patients, community, and volunteers impacted by COVID-19. The funding has been awarded to commission VCFSE activity that builds on Mersey Care’s existing work with unpaid carers in order to improve carer support and meaningful engagement within diverse and multi-ethnic communities.
We are seeking to commission one organisation for an 18-month fixed term period between 1 March 2024 to 30 September 2025, and must commence no later than 1 April 2024.
EOI applications must be submitted before 5pm on Friday 12 January 2024.
Areas of identified need
The purpose of this VSFSE micro-commissioning opportunity is to improve carer support and meaningful engagement within diverse and multi-ethnic communities across Mersey Care’s footprint.
We would expect the successful organisation to work alongside the existing Carer Engagement Team, and to “reach in” to Mersey Care to build and establish a working partnership, enabling us to foster connectivity with multi-ethnic carers.
Currently Mersey Care offers support to unpaid carers via the Carer Support Pathway which consists of the below elements:
- Support to access Carers Centres and other local community organisations to support emotional and physical wellbeing.
- Coproduction and engagement opportunities.
- Regular updates from the Carer Engagement Team.
- Peer support.
- Access to the Carer Training Education and Support Program (TES).
VCFSE organisations applying for the funding should be able to demonstrate that they are able to build on the current offer of support to:
- Develop meaningful and sustainable carer engagement within multi- ethnic communities.
- Develop a sustainable pathway in which multi-ethnic carers are routinely identified and offered culturally appropriate and sensitive support.
- Develop and deliver co-produced training for Mersey Care staff to increase awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion within the context of an unpaid caring role.
Qualifying criteria
We seek to commission one VCFSE organisation to work across Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Halton and Warrington.
The service must improve carer support and meaningful engagement within diverse and multi-ethnic communities across Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens, Halton and Warrington
The delivery is for an 18-month fixed term period between 1 March 2024 to 30 September 2025 and must commence no later than 1 April 2024.
The service must be delivered by a VCFSE organisation based in any of these places.
We welcome interest from VCFSE organisations who can mobilise no later than 1st April 2024 and have the appropriate governance and safety in place for anyone engaging in activities.
You will be expected to provide the following documentation at the contracting stage should your application be successful:
- Most recent annual accounts
- Evidence of appropriate Indemnity arrangements and insurance
- Safeguarding Policy
- Equality and Diversify Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Complaints Procedure
- Incidents Requiring Reporting Procedure
- Enhanced DBS (children and adults)
- Mental Health Capacity Act Policy (if applicable)
- Evidence of governance structure
- Two references
Funding
The successful applicant will be awarded £26,328 for the 18 month period and will also have access to limited additional funding from Mersey Care for supplementary resources.
Application
Organisations who are interested in applying and have the appropriate governance and assurance policies in place should email a copy of the completed application to engagement
The EOI Application form can be found here.
There is a strict submission deadline of 5pm on Friday 12 January 2024.
Contracts will be awarded by 2 February 2024.
