Rebecca Harris has welcomed the news that Mid and South Essex ICS will receive over £530,000 this month, as its first tranche of new funding, to support innovation and scaling in adult social care. £20 million is being allocated to lead local authorities, covering all 42 integrated care systems, which deliver adult social care services and will work with a range of partners including the NHS, care providers, voluntary and community groups.

The Accelerating Reform Fund provides a total of £42.6 million over 2023/24 and 2024/25 to support innovation and to transform the way adult social care services are provided nationally and to support a sustainable, lasting increase in the number of effective types of support.

Mid and South Essex ICS will use this funding to:

• Expand care technology to focus on workforce, community pathways and peer networks.
• Design and implement a pathway to short breaks for carers via Enhanced Wellbeing Grants.
• Implement a 2-year pilot providing a worker to support unpaid carers caring for those with the most complex and high support needs.
• Expand support for unpaid carers in Southend by working with unpaid carers and local businesses to widen the scope of activities and breaks on offer.
• Expand a successful pilot, which saw more GPs identifying and offering support to unpaid carers in Southend, across all local authority areas in Mid and South Essex.

Rebecca said:

“We are so lucky to have multiple points of access for primary care in and close to the constituency, including major hospitals in Broomfield, Southend and Basildon. This funding boost will mean that essential care will be reached by more people and supporting those unpaid carers who do so much every single day to support their loved ones.”

Minister for Social Care, Helen Whately, said:

“We’re sticking to our plan to deliver ambitious social care reforms that will ensure everyone gets the care they need and help even more people to live independently. Alongside our workforce reforms, we’re supporting the sector by backing innovations which will make our care system fit for the future and provide vital support to our selfless unpaid carers. I’ve seen first-hand how Shared Lives helps people who need care, and I’m delighted this funding will scale up support and make an even bigger difference for more people across the country.”