Carers' Rights Day
Every year Carers UK hold Carers' Rights Day, an awareness-raising campaign for carers making sure that carers are aware of their rights, where to get support and making sure that carers are valued by society.
Principal Social Work Network - Call For Action
The Adults National Principal Social Worker Network is supporting a ‘Call to Action’ recognising the amazing work that carers do, not just in this month but every day of the year. As part of this process, we've collated blogs from practitioners who work with carers on a day to day basis.
The Principal Social Worker Network supports the on-going practice development of social care staff, they work regionally to share good practice, arrange practice development opportunities for staff and undertake campaigns and awareness-raising activity.
If you're a carer and would like to contribute your story or tell us about what has made the difference for you, you can contact us by emailing carers@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:carers@coventry.gov.uk ].
Charlotte - The importance of supporting carers
Charlotte - Social Worker at All Age Disability Services
Informal carers are known to be providing huge levels of support for many people with learning disabilities and the way in which they know and love their family member or friend in a way that paid carers cannot replicate.
Many people’s main wish is to remain living at home with support from their family and friends, and if their family and friends are not supported to enable them to do this then it is not possible. Supporting carers is important for carers, but important for the person they are caring for too. If carers are struggling and feel unsupported then this impacts on whole families and relationships and ultimately can result in breakdowns in people’s mental and physical health.
Happy, well-supported carers will often mean better situations not just for carers but for the people they are caring for.
Carers offer a level and type of care that cannot be replicated anywhere else, and should be highly valued and respected.
Gabrielle - The importance of information and advice
Gabrielle - Joint Carers and Engagement Lead
Working with carers has always been integral to the work I’ve done. When you’re working with young adults with both physical disabilities and learning disabilities you realise the lifetime commitment many carers take on, supporting through sickness and health, through times of change, often playing the role of a mum, dad, brother and sister, whilst being an advocate, a legal representative, an appointee, a mentor, a health and social care navigator, an entertainer and many other guises. It is no surprise that we consider carers to be experts in their field because they have to develop so many differing skills along the way.
Now working in a much broader role with carers it has really opened my eyes to the challenges carers face on a day to day basis. From carers who are looking after one another, carers who have found themselves caring suddenly, carers who have been on a lifelong journey and carers who are coping with loss. The common theme, is love, commitment and determination to make things work.
Carers not only contribute the best quality care, they are one of the greatest assets any society has and should be valued in equal measure. Many carers tell me simply the importance of good quality, concise information that is specific to their situation, something we sometimes overlook but in a world filled with plentiful information it can be very hard to find the right information at the right time.
We are lucky within Coventry that we work closely with the Carers' Trust Heart of England to make sure that carers support is there. Having a Carer's Assessment is a really good starting point to getting the right information, an opportunity to talk about your experiences with a practitioner who will help you understand your rights, the support out there and the next steps.
Raising the profile of carers is very important, we know that as the population grows, as people’s needs increase in complexity and services get stretched, carers are all too often the safety net of any community. It is important that their commitment does not go unnoticed and unappreciated. We are all likely to take on a caring role in our lifetime but many carers feel isolated and alone in their role, being more open, sharing experiences and good practice is the way forward.
Amarjeet - The importance of having a break
Amarjeet - Carers Assessment Worker
Carers often find themselves providing high levels of care even when there is a package of support provided, providing support between care calls and during the day and night.
The impact of caring can be immense and a carer may not have opportunities to take a break from caring. This may impact on a carers’ ability to access recreational activities, local services, maintain personal relationships. The strain of caring may affect the carers’ mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Caring also can have a huge impact on employment and finances too.
Being aware of carer support groups is important. This ensures that someone caring does not feel isolated and gives a carer an opportunity to meet other carers in like- minded situation. Carers should also be informed and encouraged to register with the CRESS service, this can be accessed in an emergency. You do not need to be open to Adult Social Care and can refer yourself to the service.
Further support that can be explored as part of an Adult Social Care assessment can be carers short breaks, which can enable a carer to go out, have time to relax and pursue the things you want to. Day Opportunities and respite can also allow the a carer to have a break at the same time as making sure the person with support needs has a chance to socialise and have a break too.
Supporting carers well is important for a good quality of life and helps a carer maintain their caring role in the long term.
Megan - The importance of supporting carers of adults with a mental health condition
Megan - Mental Health Practitioner
As a mental health practitioner I often see individuals who are supported with both practical and emotional aspects of day to day living by loved ones who expect no recognition or special treatment and tell us ‘if they’re ok, I’m ok. I just want them to get the help they need.’.
From the agoraphobic young adult who relies upon their parents to get them to appointments to the depressed individual who would not eat or take their medication regularly without the support of their loving partner, where would these people be without the support of those close to them? We see the family member who spends hours of the day or night emotionally supporting their relative in distress with high anxiety or suicidal feelings, we see those whose physical and mental health issues are hard to separate being supported by loved ones whose entire schedule is based around that person.
Some of these friends and family would define themselves as ‘carers’ and have some understanding of their rights or the support available to them but for many, this is just life, this is just what they do for someone they love and they battle on through the stress, the worry, the pressures of juggling their life, without any support or ever kicking up a fuss.
These are our silent heroes.
It’s hard to try and comprehend the pressure there would be on services without so many of these silent heroes working to keep the people they love safe and well.
This is why having services like the Carers' Centre is invaluable, somewhere for people to contact and visit for practical and emotional support for themselves, whether they want some information or training to help them better support their loved one or a support group or counsellor to talk about how they’re coping - or even just discounted access to holistic treatments and activities to give them a break from things. We want carers to know we see them, that our silent heroes are not invisible and they deserve some TLC and support for themselves while we all work together to help their loved one too.
Stephanie - The importance of a life alongside caring
Stephanie - Carers Assessment Worker
It is rewarding to support carers. It is often not until they really cannot cope that carers tend to ask for help. Carers do a fantastic job which is hidden away from most people and so they get little acknowledgement or recognition for what they do.
I helped one person who cared for her husband at home. He had dementia which had progressed to a stage where they could not leave him at home on his own. She was very active and had some equipment at home but what she really missed was her weekly hobby of going out walking with a local walking group. Adult Social Care arranged for a carer to go once a week and be with her husband so that she could go out walking. This meant that she got a regular break, was able to be active and keep in touch with all of her friends. It meant so much to her, it made the difference between her feeling that she could not cope anymore and being able to keep looking after her own husband at home. She is really pleased with the service and happy that she is getting support in her caring role.