Working for Carers 2019-2022 evaluation: Invitation to tender

Carers Trust is inviting suitable applicants to tender to complete an evaluation of the Working for Carers programme, working with carer focused organisations across London to support carers aged 25 and over who are unemployed and economically inactive to be able to gain employment. Working for Carers is jointly funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the European Social Fund as part of the Building Better Opportunities programme. Evaluation Aim: To deliver an impartial evaluation of the impact that the Working for Carers project has on the lives of eligible carers aged 25+, the organisations involved and the employability support sector, focusing on activity undertaken between October 2019 - December 2021. Objectives 1. To evaluate the carer cycle through the Working for Carers programme identifying if there is a correlation between the following factors: a. how/when carers enter the project - we are particularly interested in understanding how the type, level and structures around caring roles impact carers movement through the Working for Carers cycle, b. what the identified wider support needs for carers are (i.e. emotional or practical) and how these are managed e.g. when are referrals made? What routes have been effective to enable positive re-entry into the programme? c. how/when carers exit the programme and what happens next. 2. To evaluate the impact of outreach activities and partnerships with local providers on recruitment of carers to the Working for Carers programme. The evaluation will identify and evidence effective approaches in an initial impact report. The effect the focused application of identified approaches has on recruitment across the programme will be a key element of the final report. 3. To evaluate the impact of the employability support strategies provided to Working for Carers participants on the outcomes they have or go on to achieve. Current strategies range from information on carers employment rights, supporting carers to speak to employers about their caring role through to direct brokerage with employers. 4. To provide a focused evaluation of the experiences of organisations involved in the delivery and receipt of support from Working for Carers. This will include Carers Trust, Hub Partners, Network Partners and other key organisations supporting carers across Greater London. 5. To identify a clear set of principles that those interested in carers employability can replicate, in Greater London and in other geographical areas. It is expected that the evaluation will take place over three phases and will influence learning and development for Working for Carers, Carers Trust and The Carers Trust Network Partners in London. The required reports should be delivered as follows: Report One: Findings on Objectives 1 & 2 - by August 2020 Report Two: Interim evaluation findings - by Feb 2021 Final report - by Feb 2022 Submissions should be sent to policy@carers.org by 23.59, 9 Dec 2019