Here is a summary of the scheduled discussions for the Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Adults meeting on 16 September 2025. Councillor Tim Bearder, Cabinet Member for Adults, was scheduled to consider a proposal for Adult Social Care to commission an unpaid carer support service. The meeting was also scheduled to cover declarations of interest, questions from councillors, petitions and public addresses, and the approval of minutes from previous meetings.

Carer Support Service

Councillor Tim Bearder was scheduled to review a proposal for commissioning an unpaid carer support service, with contributory funding from the Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB).

The report pack stated that the aim of the new model of carer support service is to empower and support unpaid carers, with a focus on promoting carer identification, providing a proactive, personalised response, and signposting people to appropriate support within their local communities.

The report pack included a recommendation to approve the commissioning of the new service through a procurement exercise, transitioning to a new ten-year contract from 1 April 2026. The proposed pooled budget was £1,071,631 per year for the contract, plus £625,250 per year for carer payments.

The report pack also recommended delegating authority to the Director for Adult Social Care to manage the service design and approve the contract award, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Governance Services and the Executive Director of Resources and Section 151 Officer.

The report pack stated that in Oxfordshire, 52,700 residents (8%) provide some level of unpaid care, with 22,800 providing 20 or more hours of unpaid care per week. The report pack referenced research from the Centre for Care, published in partnership with Carers UK, which estimated the economic value of contributions made by unpaid carers in the UK at £184 billion a year.

The current carer support service, branded as Carers Oxfordshire, is contracted to Action for Carers Oxfordshire, in partnership with Rethink Mental Illness. The contract is scheduled to expire on 31 March 2026. The service is funded from the Age Well pooled budget by the Council and the BOB ICB, totalling £937,302 per year.

The report pack stated that following a carer assessment, carers can be awarded up to £300 in any 12-month period to meet a specific identified need that can't be met in another way, and to make a difference to a carer's wellbeing, help to avoid crisis and enable them to continue in their caring role. The budget for carer payments is £525,250, split equally between the Council and BOB ICB.

The report pack outlined several options for the future of the carer support service:

• Option 1: Do nothing and allow the current contract to end on 31 March 2026.
• Option 2: Retender the service through a procurement exercise, transitioning to a new ten-year contract from 1 April 2026, including funding for increased demand capacity and continuing carer short breaks and carer payments.
• Option 3: Retender the service as in Option 2, but with a commencement date of 1 July 2026, requiring a three-month contract extension with the current provider.
• Option 4: Allocate a grant to the current provider and transition to a new ten-year arrangement from 1 April 2026.

The preferred option outlined in the report pack was Option 2: Retender.

The report pack stated that the recommissioning of the carer support service aligns with the council's Strategic Plan 2023-2025, which includes a commitment to tackle inequalities in Oxfordshire, prioritise the health and wellbeing of residents, and support carers and the social care system. The Carer Support Service also aligns with the Oxfordshire All-Age Unpaid Carers Strategy 2023–2026, through supporting carers to stay well and independent, enjoying a quality of life which should not be lost because they are carers.

Other Matters

The agenda for the meeting of the Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Adults also included:

• Declarations of Interest: Councillors were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other relevant interests.
• Questions from County Councillors: Any questions from county councillors submitted in advance of the meeting were scheduled to be addressed.
• Petitions and Public Address: The agenda allowed for members of the public to speak on agenda items or present petitions.
• Minutes of the Previous Meeting: Councillor Tim Bearder was asked to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2025 and 17 December 2024 as an accurate record of proceedings and to receive any information arising from them.