The Council has secured £320k after successfully applying to the government for the money as part of The Accelerating Reform Fund.
The money is being provided as part of efforts to improve the support to carers and those people they care for.
The Council worked with WWC and the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board on the bid. In total the region received almost £800k.
A report to Cabinet on 12 March will outline how the fund is planned to be used.
The Council will benefit from the fund to help look at innovation within adult social care. It will:
- Look at innovative ways to recruit to our Shared Lives Carers scheme
- Explore innovations within carers' support to improve how information is shared
- Develop local connections with businesses to offer opportunities for carers to take a break
- Develop how voluntary opportunities and support networks can be co-ordinated within the city
It includes recruiting more people to share their home with someone who may have care needs, looking at new ways to offer short care breaks and using technology to support carers with easily accessible support networks.
Cllr Linda Bigham, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, said: “It’s vital that we provide longer term and structured support to carers and this fund will help us to develop this further. As more people become in need of care family and friends and people in the community step forward to provide crucial support.
“Carers need to know that they are not alone in the care they give – and in Coventry we really value the commitment and support they give to others.
She added: “We appreciate any funding we can apply for but there is more that the government should be doing to fund social care in the long term.”
The deployment of Accelerating Reform Fund monies will support informal carers through the various initiatives outlined and by bolstering voluntary sector provision to help support service users, informal carers and support a healthy community and voluntary sector.
The Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) is a grant program available from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to accelerate the process of reform of adult social care in England. The sum of £42.6m has been made available nationally, with a minimum £25m earmarked for support to informal carers.
Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System has been awarded the sum of £779,604.