The NHS in Leicestershire and Rutland has partnered with Mobilise to offer a new digital support service for unpaid carers. Working in collaboration with Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council, officials hope the platform will provide carers with an accessible and convenient way to get support that meets their needs.
Dr Rekash Inamdar, GP and Community Care Clinical Lead for the Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland Integrated Care Board, said: “Unpaid carers provide invaluable support to those they look after and it’s important for us to ensure they are all able to access free support services that have been specifically tailored for their needs. We’re delighted that we have been able to launch the Mobilise service for carers in Leicestershire and Rutland in conjunction with our local authority partners.
“There are many people that provide care to family and friends on a long-term basis that aren’t accessing the support available to them. We’re keen to identify more carers, so they too are able to benefit from the additional free support that is already available to carers in Leicester City. Mobilise is a great way for people to connect and receive support from others who can relate to their similar and shared experiences.”
Mobilise will work alongside the existing support provided by Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL) and Rutland Carer Support Service to offer an enhanced range of online services, from website guides, regular contact through emails, guide to caring e-course to ‘virtual cuppas’ and even individual support calls – seven days a week.
Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for adult social care, at Leicestershire County Council said: “We know that in many cases carers do not see themselves as a carer, in their eyes they are just looking after a friend or loved one. There’s lots of support available for carers, so it’s really important that people know what may be available to support them.”
The service is now live and Mobilise will use social media and digital marketing to help to find and identify 30,000 ‘unpaid carers’, connecting them immediately with others in a similar position, and providing relevant, timely support.
Kim Sorsky, Strategic Director for Adults and Health, at Rutland County Council, said: “Carers do a huge amount to look after friends and loved ones and often don’t realise they themselves are entitled to help. We have a dedicated Carers Team who are here to support Rutland carers, whatever the circumstances, and very much welcome the new Mobilise platform. It’s vital that people can get easy access to information about the help available to local carers.”
Lee, 55, a family carer who supports his sister who is a stroke survivor and her son who has psychosis said “Mobilise is a unique service, they have helped me to connect with real people that have had similar experiences to me. It has been reassuring to know that they are there to help make a real difference in how I support my loved ones who have health challenges. Everyone who cares for a loved one would do well to connect with Mobilise.”
The Mobilise service is free for residents of Leicestershire and Rutland and can be accessed by visiting:
https://support.mobiliseonline.co.uk/leicestershire-and-rutland
Suzanne Bourne, Co-founder and Head of Carer Support at Mobilise, stated: “There are carers out there who may need advice who are not currently accessing it. Creating a Mobilise carer peer support network in Leicestershire and Rutland will see an improvement in their wellbeing. Carers are less likely to reach breakdown and require emergency assistance.”
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