About Forever Care
Forever Care was created in response to a simple reality: some people have needs that are never fully met by services designed around short-term interventions, eligibility thresholds, and single issues.
Many people we work with experience multiple challenges that affect their health, wellbeing and quality of life. They may be living with long-term physical or mental health conditions, social isolation, financial pressures, housing issues, discrimination, or other forms of inequality. While support often exists, it can be fragmented, time-limited, and focused on only one aspect of a person's life at a time.
As a result, people can find themselves repeatedly telling their story, navigating complex systems alone, and moving between services only to feel ‘dropped’ without ever feeling genuinely supported.
Forever Care takes a different approach. Rather than asking "what is wrong with this person?", we start by asking:
- What matters to them?
- What kind of life do they want to lead?
- What would improve their wellbeing, confidence and sense of belonging?
- What support would help them get there?
At its heart, Forever Care is about relationships. It is about ensuring people have someone in their corner who knows them, understands their circumstances, helps them navigate systems and provides consistent support over time.
What are we looking for?
We are seeking up to four local VCSE organisations to become Forever Care Partners. This is not a commissioned service with a fixed specification. We are looking for organisations that want to work alongside us to develop and deliver a more personalised, relationship-based approach to supporting people whose needs are often overlooked by traditional services.
Successful organisations will identify a named member of staff(s) or volunteer(s) who can act as a trusted point of contact for people referred through the Forever Care programme. Over time, we hope this person will build meaningful and trusted relationships with individuals, becoming a consistent source of support that helps people navigate life's challenges and access the help they need.
What does a Forever Care Partner do?
The role is intentionally flexible and shaped around the individual. We recognise that everyone's circumstances are different and that meaningful support cannot always be delivered through a set programme or fixed intervention.
Examples of support may include:
- Helping someone understand and respond to benefits, housing or other official correspondence.
- Supporting people to access local social, wellbeing or community activities.
- Helping individuals connect with services and organisations that may be able to support them.
- Accompanying people to appointments where appropriate.
- Advocating on behalf of individuals when they are struggling to navigate systems or access support.
- Providing emotional support and regular check-ins.
- Helping people identify their own goals, strengths and priorities.
- Building confidence and supporting people to advocate for themselves.
Most importantly, it means being a consistent presence in someone's life by offering a regular touch point. By doing so, staff/volunteers supporting Forever Care become a trusted person who notices when things are not right, who reaches out when they have not heard from them, who listens without judgement and someone who helps carry the weight of navigating systems that can often feel overwhelming, inaccessible or impersonal.
Working together
All Forever Care Partners will be supported by a monthly Forever Care steering group. These sessions will provide a space to:
- Share learning and challenges.
- Discuss how best to support individuals.
- Identify barriers people are facing.
- Explore solutions collectively.
- Escalate issues where systems are not responding appropriately.
- Strengthen connections between partner organisations.
We do not expect partners to have all the answers. The purpose of the partnership is to work together to find them.
What we are looking for in partner organisations
We are particularly interested in organisations that:
- Are rooted within their local community.
- Have a strong track record of building trusted relationships.
- Understand the impact of health inequalities and social exclusion.
- Can provide ongoing support that is responsive to an individual's needs.
- Believe that relationships are often as important as services.
- Want to help shape and develop the Forever Care model alongside us.
Funding
Successful organisations will receive a grant of up to £2,500 to support their involvement in the programme between September 2026 and March 2027.
We recognise that this funding period is limited. However, Forever Care is built on the principle of developing longer-term relationships and support networks that continue beyond individual interventions wherever possible.
Subject to funding availability and demonstrated impact, we hope to explore opportunities for continuation beyond March 2027.
Grant Guidance 2026/27
Grant value: Up to £2,500
Number of grants available: Up to 4 organisations
Programme period: September 2026 – March 2027
Location: South of RBKC only
How to Apply
To apply, please complete our short application form.
Deadline to apply: 21 August 2026
We're not looking for lengthy applications or detailed delivery plans. We'd simply like to understand a bit more about your organisation, who you support, and how you think you could contribute to the Forever Care approach.
The form will ask about:
- Your organisation, what you do, and the communities you support.
- Your strengths as an organisation, including any examples of similar relationship-based or person-centred work.
- Your ideas for how you could work with us as a Forever Care Partner and the support you could offer people on the programme.
Forever Care is designed to be developed alongside our partners, so we're not looking for finished answers. What matters most is that you share our commitment to building trusted relationships and providing personalised support that helps people live healthier, happier lives.