Carer, Family and Friends event

Let's talk, Let's Listen and Let's Learn Together Event

On Thursday, February 13th, Nottinghamshire Healthcare hosted an event for the carers, families, and friends of our patients and service users.

We were joined by 130 attendees, and the energy in the room was palpable, with continuous conversation. The event fostered an open and candid discussion about what meaningful engagement and involvement from carers and families should look like, ensuring it's a positive experience for everyone.

The event began with Jackie Danby, a carer and service user, who shared her personal experiences with our services. She emphasized the importance of her husband and family's involvement in ensuring she received the right care when she needed it most and how crucial their support was to her recovery.  You can watch Jackie's introduction here

Chief Nurse Diane Hull discussed the Trust's efforts to reset and collaborate more effectively with carers and families. She highlighted how their insights and knowledge of their loved ones are invaluable in helping us provide the best possible, person-centred, and safe care. Diane took the time to listen to and address a range of concerns, hearing the frustrations and emotions that carers and families wanted to express.  Watch Diane here

We were also joined by the lead commissioner from Nottinghamshire County Council, Anna Oliver, who spearheaded the co-production of the Joint Carers Strategy for Nottinghamshire. This led to further discussions about support and funding for carers and family services across the county.  Watch Anna here

During the lunch break, attendees had the opportunity to speak with the Involvement, Experience, and Volunteering (IEV) team, Talking Therapies, Healthwatch, Nottinghamshire Carers Hub, and Nottinghamshire Carers.

The afternoon session began with Jacqui Dwyer MBE, who was praised by one carer as one of the most inspirational speakers I've had the chance to hear and engage with. Jacqui discussed the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF), the first anti-racism framework for the NHS focused on mental health services. You can read more about the framework and Jacqui's work here

The afternoon concluded with Mary Patel from the Carers Trust, who talked about the Triangle of Care, a tool for supporting change and growth for carers and families, which Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is accredited with.

We are now working on incorporating the feedback we received to develop the Trust's Carers and Families plans moving forward. We will share updates when we have further information.