Families First- Young Carers with additional needs and/or a disability

Outline

Local Authorities in Wales receives funding known as the Children and Communities Grant (CCG) from Welsh Government on an annual basis. One of eight projects that the grant must fund is known as Families First. Flintshire County Council commissions some of its services from external providers utilising the Families First element of the CCG.

Aims of the Project

This tender is specifically aimed at Young Carers who have their own support needs to enable them to access groups/activities with other young carers and/or young people of their own age/similar interests to allow for a break from their caring role.

All young carers supported must have had a young carers assessment and require support for an additional need/disability. This may be on a one to one basis and should also take into account transport needs to support access to groups/activities.

The tender is open to organisations that can provide the support for the young carer to attend their chosen activity and/or provide the activities themselves for young carers with additional needs and/or a disability.

There will be a need to work with the organisation that undertakes the Young Carers assessments in Flintshire and also the wider Flintshire Carers Network, the Early Help Hub and various departments withing Flintshire County Council.

INTRODUCTION TO FAMILIES FIRST

Flintshire Families First 2026/28 - Welsh Government Funding

The Children and Communities Grant (CCG) currently funds eight Welsh Government programmes that address the support needs of the most vulnerable children and adults in our communities through a range of early intervention, prevention and support mechanisms. The CCG seeks to mitigate or remove disadvantage to vulnerable people to enable them to have the same life chances as others, and therefore contribute to a more equal Wales.

Families First is specifically aimed at improving outcomes for children, young people and families. The programme is designed to reduce the numbers of young people and families developing more complex needs and requiring more intensive and costly interventions at a later date. Key areas of focus include the provision of:

• A team around the family (TAF), which in Flintshire is a team that assesses What Matters to families also called a part 2 assessment which is consent led, and coordinates the delivery of multidisciplinary interventions for families with multiple needs
• Support for parents and carers
• Support for young people
• Support for disabled children, young people and their families

In Flintshire, all these services are co-located within the Early Help Hub (EHH). This ensures that Families First service providers are able to better share information, plan and integrate services in ways that help ensure Flintshire families have their needs met from the right place in the right way and at the right time.

This contract is for 1 year with the option to extend for upto 3 further years subject to regular reviews of performance, local needs and available funding .