Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.
You can find out more on the Carers Week website.
What is a carer?
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, addiction, or who needs extra help as they grow older. It isn’t someone who volunteers or is employed to provide support.
Carers need to be recognised for the difficulties they are experiencing, respected for all they are doing, provided with information, and given the support they need to care safely.
How is our Trust supporting carers?
We have been working with carers to improve how we engage with and support them.
A new, co-designed Carer Promise was recently launched at the Trust’s Carers Conference in April. (This replaces the “Carers’ Charter”.) Working with carers is everyone’s business, and we all have a responsibility to ensure the Carer Promise is fulfilled.
And did you know that one in three NHS employees is a carer? This week we are also sharing information with our staff, many of whom are carers themselves, to ensure they know what support is available to them from the Trust.
The new Carer Promise pledges:
- You will be recognised, valued and involved
- We will work together with you to ensure we are all aware of your needs as a carer
- We will listen to you, share information with you, and be honest with you when there is information we cannot share
- We will talk with you about where you can get further help, and information about what you can expect from us.
New resources
Carers worked with us to co-design a new set of leaflets and posters to provide people with useful information.
The new ‘Carer Promise Information Leaflet’ provides details on the Carer Promise, and summarises key information all in one place which was previously in the ‘Working Together’, ‘Getting to Know You’ and ‘Common-sense Confidentiality’ leaflets (which have now been withdrawn).
There is also a Useful Contacts leaflet, and information about the new Carers Card.
New ‘Carer Card’
Staff in clinical services should now offer carers our new Carer Card.
These cards are a new way of ensuring carers are fully recognised and valued for their involvement in the care of people accessing our services.
They also offer carers opportunities to access free parking and discounts some of our on-site cafes.
“Cuppa for Carers” drop-ins
The Involvement service are hosting lunch time drop-ins for carers and families during Carers Week.
These “Cuppa for Carers” sessions are a chance for people to get together and take half an hour for themselves.
We hope to see some of you there!
Tuesday 6th June (12:00 – 12:30) – (Click here to join the meeting)
Thursday 8th June (12:00 – 12:30) – (Click here to join the meeting)
If you have any questions, please contact the Patient and Carer Involvement team at [email protected] or on 01670 501 816.