mental health | Carer Support Wiltshire

Unpaid carers can’t keep on plugging gaps

February 22, 2016 by Jules Stanbridge Leave a Comment

Unpaid carers can’t keep on plugging gaps in the NHS and social care, writes Paul Burstow in The Guardian.

It is plain is that the tone of the debate about the role of unpaid carers needs to change. Research has underlined how badly this is needed. Moved to Care took a look at the implications of UK migration policy for the future care workforce. Its stark conclusion is that there will be a shortfall of 200,000 people needed to meet the care of a larger older and more frail population. And Horizon 2035: Future Demand for Skills, found that demand for health and care skills could grow more than twice as fast as overall population growth by 2035.

Add to that the result of a poll for the Astellas Innovation Debate, which found that 52% of the public do not have confidence that the government will provide them with high-quality social care in later life, and the picture is stark. There is an enormous and expanding gap between demand and provision.

Read the full article here:

Carers Rights Day: agencies need to work together to support carers

November 20, 2015 by Jules Stanbridge Leave a Comment

Getting back into work, hospital transport and parking, and working through the maze of services which are available were just some of the topics covered during a debate held in Wiltshire to mark Carers Rights Day.

And there was a resounding call for agencies supporting carers to collaborate more closely, to provide more effective help.

Reaching out to carers who’ve yet to look for support and providing a joined up services were also hotly debated.

An attentive audience of carers were at Devizes Town Hall for the question and answer session organised by Carer Support Wiltshire to mark national Carers Rights Day. They had the chance to put questions to a panel of experts, including Wiltshire councillors and council officers, and representatives from Healthwatch Wiltshire, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, the Carers Trust, and law firm Awdry, Bailey and Douglas. The debate was facilitated by BBC journalist Vernon Harwood.

Catharine Hurford, Carer Support Wiltshire chief executive, said: “The message from today is the complexities carers face in navigating the system to access support. There needs to be more collaborative working between health, social care and voluntary services to provide clear communications to carers.”

Subjects covered included:

How to reach carers: GP surgeries may hold the key
So much information out there: we need better signposting and collaboration so carers have a joined up service and aren’t passed around between providers
Lack of transport to hospitals - 48% of RUH Bath users are from Wiltshire: Link bus service may help here
Getting back into work is difficult for carers, who also fear cuts in benefits
Flexible working is harder for carers in small businesses
How can carers’ rights be protected in the workplace? Law does require employers to play fair
What opportunities are there for carers and cared for to do things together? Wiltshire Parent Carer Council runs a lot of groups, short breaks and activities
Direct payments can be complicated: payment cards are being introduced which may simplify the payment process
Do Job Centres help people with mental health issues? Each Job Centre Plus should have a designated staff member to assist
What help is there for people with mental health issues to get work? Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership has a new programme to support people into employment

After the event, those attending had the chance to speak individually to panel members.

If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised, or anything else related to caring, please get in touch.

MP launches new guide for young and young adult carers

October 27, 2015 by Jules Stanbridge Leave a Comment

Barbara Keeley MP has officially launch a new guide to develop awareness of young and young adult carers’ needs among mental health professionals.

The Triangle of Care for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers offers professionals guidance on how they can support carers aged up to 25, a group which is often overlooked within mental health services.

The Triangle of Care programme was set up to help mental health providers share best practice on how they can include and support carers involved with mental health services and work towards a carer-inclusive culture. There are seven regional Triangle of Care groups across England, which exist to build partnerships between the statutory and third sector. The programme is also being rolled out across Scotland.

The Triangle of Care for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers sits alongside the main guide which was developed in 2010.

There are an estimated 700,000 young carers (BBC) and according to the 2011 Census there are 375,000 young adult carers in England and Wales.

It is hoped that this resource will help more mental health providers ensure that carers of all ages of someone with a mental health problem are identified as early as possible and are able to access the support they need to feel included and supported.

Ruth Hannan, Carers Trust Policy and Development Manager and Triangle of Care lead for England said: “The work we have already undertaken on Triangle of Care shows that carers under the age of 25 are under recognised and under identified with mental health services and as a result are often under supported.

“So many young and young adult carers are not given information in a way that they can understand, are not given a chance to ask questions and are not told that they can get help to have the same chances as their peers who aren’t carers; all of these things mean that unnecessary worry and stress can be reduced”.

MP launches new guide for young and young adult carers

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