Refreshed strategy highlights commitment to supporting carers

Support for carers across the city, county and Rutland is outlined in the newly refreshed Carers’ Strategy.

The Joint Carers Strategy Refresh 2022-2025(link is external)   – Recognising, Valuing and Supporting Carers in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) has been approved by Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council.

This is a joint Strategy which has been developed by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, Rutland Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) across the LLR area. It commits all three councils to a shared vision and priorities for recognising, valuing, and supporting carers across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. The aim is to help carers to continue in their caring role and maintain their own health and wellbeing.

As part of the strategy refresh, new commitments have been made to introduce a Young Carer’s passport across the region, and to work more effectively with health services to improve carer identification and the consideration of carer needs on admission to and discharge from hospital.

Other priorities include:

• Identifying and recognising carers quickly, partners and community organisations will encourage people to self-identify as carers so that they can get access to the right support.
• Valuing carers and young carers’ experience and ensuring they are involved in what happens to the person that they care for
• Making sure carers can access the information they need in the formats they require
• Encouraging communities to support carers through community groups, and helping carers access local groups so that they can socialise and take a break from their caring responsibilities
• Recognising that carers have their own lives to lead alongside their caring role, and leading by example as carer-friendly employers, encouraging more local businesses to do the same
• Ensuring that carers know about new technology that could support them in their caring roles, and supporting them to be confident using new technology or gadgets
• Working with partners to raise the profile of schemes like the Carers Passport, which helps organisations to easily recognise and acknowledge carers
• Developing a range of support for young carers including improved awareness in schools and colleges of young carers, the roll out of a Young Carers passport scheme, and improved support for young carers dealing with the health system locally.

Dr Rekash Inamdar, GP and Clinical Lead for Community Care for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, said: “This winter and the Covid pandemic have both highlighted the crucial role unpaid (and often young) carers have in supporting the lives of friends or relatives that they care for. We recognise the increasing pressures on these carers, especially in view of the cost-of-living crisis. Carers themselves are often juggling their own lives, jobs, families and, often, their own health needs – all of this at a time when the NHS and Care system is under immense pressure itself.  

“We would like to thank these carers for the outstanding contribution they make. In the NHS and Care system we value and view carers as system partners and seek to work collaboratively with carers in order to achieve the best possible outcomes. The first step is identifying these carers and recognising their role. The next step is to work together and support them strategically with their lives, as well as the lives of the people they care for. Together we will look to strengthen our relationships, working with them to enable and empower them throughout our journey together. “

Councillor Christine Radford, county council cabinet member for adults and communities, said: “It’s important that we make carers visible so that we can support them and recognise both the challenges they face and the enormous contribution they make to families and communities. Our strategy – covering the city, county, and Rutland – is an important starting point for every organisation that comes into contact with carers. By adopting this strategy, we commit to recognising, supporting and valuing carers for the vital work they do.”

Carers can also access more advice and information here.