To approve the direct award of a carers support service contract for up to 12 months from 1 April 2018, until a newly designed service can be successfully commissioned.   This will ensure the continuity of services for carers following the withdrawal of the procurement process for the newly designed carers service. The current contract with Herefordshire Carers Support (HCS) is for a fixed term of one year. The existing contract cannot be extended and therefore a direct award is proposed, which will require an exemption from contract procedure rules standing orders.   The service specification for the interim service will be developed as far as possible to align more closely to the priorities in the Joint Carers Strategy.

A recent procurement process has demonstrated that the market does not currently have the capacity and willingness to deliver the new type of carers service required.  Therefore a new carers service will not be available to mobilise from 1 April 2018.  Intensive work is underway to engage in depth with the market, NHS and other partners to establish the best way to deliver a service which enables carers and addresses the priorities within the Joint Carers Strategy.