Carers Week: Putting carers on the map
This week, 10 to 16 June 2024, the Trust will be supporting Carers Week, a UK-wide awareness campaign seeking to increase visibility for carers with decision makers, services, employers, communities, and businesses.
Millions of people across the UK care, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health condition or addiction cannot cope without their support. It is estimated that they save the economy £162 million a year - the equivalent of a second NHS. Yet, many carers feel their role is forgotten and invisible.
The theme for 2024 is “Putting Carers on the Map” which aims to highlight the increasing pressures carers face and to promote the much-needed recognition and support they need. A staggering 82% of carers surveyed by Carers UK said the impact of caring on their physical and mental health would be a challenge over the coming year, with nearly 60% adding that being valued as a carer would improve their wellbeing.
For Carers Week, Diane Hull, Executive Director of AHPs, Nursing and Quality, shares a message of thanks to all our carers and talks about the importance of carers and families in the care and treatment of our patients and the challenges carers face.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare commitment to carers
We have two commitments that underpin our approach and work with carers, these statements have been co-designed with carers and form the foundations of all that we do. They are:
- We will always work in partnership with carers/families in all the clinical care we deliver.
- We will always listen to, communicate with, involve, and offer support to carers/families, unless there is a very good reason not to.
Triangle of Care
The Triangle of Care is a therapeutic alliance between service user, staff and carer that promotes safety, supports recovery, and sustains wellbeing. The Carers Trust developed the Triangle of Care by working with carers and staff to improve how organisations engage with carers and developed standard that set out what good looks like for patients, staff and carers. At Nottinghamshire Healthcare completing our self-assessment for our Triangle of Care accreditation is a core element that demonstrates our commitment to building improvements in the way we work with and involve carers. This year we had over 150 of our local teams and services conducting a self-assessment of how well they are delivering the standards, 33 of these teams directly worked with carers to evaluate their approach and all teams have gone on to have identified 2- 3 key actions they will work on to build and enhance what they do.
Carers Connect Network
The Trust’s Carers Connect Network is a group that meet regularly to develop the Involvement, Experience and Volunteering Strategy and the Triangle of Care.
The forum is for carers, families, friends, staff and partnership organisations who work with carers. and a chance to influence how we work together, add your voice, and share good practice or just hear the latest news. The Carers Connect Network ‘meet’ using Microsoft Teams. carers, carer organisations, local authority carer leads, and Trust carer lead staff pick up the challenges carers are facing and respond collectively to these.
Dates for the next Carers Connect Network meeting can be found here: Carers Connect Network please contact us if you want to get involved.
You can find more carer support from other Trust services including the Trust’s City Carers’ Support Services, Young Onset Dementia and parent and carer support in our Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Carer Confident
In 2020 the Trust was recognised as a Carer Confident Active Employer by Employers for Carers, a scheme to recognise organisations that create a carer-supportive workplace for their staff. The Trust has several measures in place to support staff who are carers including a wellbeing plan, special leave and flexible leave guidance.
In December 2023, the Trust was awarded the Carer Confident Level 2 accreditation, by Employers for Carers, which recognises those organisations which are accomplished in providing carer support in the workplace.
Support for Carers living in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire
Across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire there is a range of support available to support carers including the Carers Hub service, supported by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Young carers can also find support and advice from the Young Carers Notts website. You can find out more on our Involvement, Experience and Volunteering website.
Further carers support can be found on the involvement page here.
Join in the conversation with @InvolveNottsHC@NottsHealthcare#CarersWeek
