Carers Bucks chooses not to submit new bid for Support Service contract

It follows 20 years of care support in the county.

The Aylesbury-based charity say that it was 'a significant and carefully considered decision' by their board not to submit a bid for the new Buckinghamshire Carers Support Service contract. After July 1st, private company Mobilise LTD will take over as Buckinghamshire Council's commissioned care support provider.

Carers Bucks assure its users that "for you right now: nothing changes", with all services continuing as normal through to the end of June and with CareFest going ahead from the 8th-12th June. They did say though that "what this means for the future of Carers Bucks is still to be confirmed."

Those the charity supports are also reassured that they will work with closely with Mobilise LTD to "ensure a smooth and seamless transition", with their team of employees and volunteers able to "transfer to the new provider and form the delivery backbone of the new service, helping maintain continuity."

They added:

"This contract has been a significant part of our work and we are exceedingly proud of the legacy and team we hand to the new provider. The Board will confirm in good time exactly how we will deliver the greatest impact for carers in Bucks beyond 30th June.

We will share further updates on both the contract transition and the future of Carers Bucks over the coming weeks. The team have no further information to share at this point, but all services continue and they are here to support you in your caring role."

You can find their full statement here (external link).

In response to the news Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, Isobel Darby, said:

"Buckinghamshire Council has a legal duty to reprocure services to ensure we continue to deliver the best possible support and value for money for residents. As part of this process, we ran a tender for a new Buckinghamshire Carers Support Service that builds on what works well now, while strengthening digital support and ensuring the service continues to meet carers' needs across all ages.

"Carers Bucks, who have provided a highly valued service for carers in Buckinghamshire for many years, made the decision not to submit a bid for the new contract. We are grateful for the excellent support they have delivered and are working closely with them to support a smooth transition.

"Subject to the mandatory standstill period, the council intends to award the contract to Mobilise Ltd. Our priority remains making sure carers continue to receive reliable support throughout this period of change."