Wandsworth’s Carers’ Strategy

Back in July we posted an item telling you about the new Carers’ Strategy consultation being undertaken in Wandsworth.

There are some 19,000 carers living in Wandsworth and the new Carers’ Strategy will cover how the statutory and voluntary agencies will help carers over the next 5 years.

At that time, Wandsworth LINk welcomed the initiative of the Adults Services Department to begin a dialogue about how to extend involvement and engagement of service users and is keen to work in partnership to implement the proposals. We fully support of the values and philosophy underpinning the Adult Services User Engagement and Involvement Strategy.

Our Response

We have now published our response to the Strategy and you can see it in the Resources Section of the website as the LINk Response to Consultation on Wandsworth’s Carers’ Strategy (PDF). Our response is based on the content of the Strategy and Action Plan documentation, the views expressed by 25 people who attended the two consultation meetings and anecdotal evidence from carers who have approached LINk. Thank you to all those who contributed.

LINk’s focus is on services for adults so comments are not offered about services to children and young people.

LINk recommendations for priority action

Ownership of the Strategy

The strategy is clearly a collaborative project across health and social care agencies. It would be further strengthened if ownership could be extended across all health and care commissioners and providers within the Borough.

Carer Participation

It is appreciated that this strategy was developed with the participation and involvement of carers looking after people from different user groups as well as young carers. Implementation will be strengthened with the development of specific good practice guidelines for involving an even wider range of carers, especially reaching those who need support with financial and practical problems of finding alternative care for their service user in order to participate.

From discussions about the consultation process, it emerged that Wandsworth does not currently have a data base of all carers who have received a carers’ assessment not is there a way of identifying carers via records on service users. It seems that more work could be done to identify and communicate with carers who may be unaware of what is available, even before work is done to identify carers not currently involved with services.

Information

Establish and publicize a multi-lingual help line specifically dedicated to supporting carers with an option for carers to be referred for an individual discussion.

Quality personalized care

Adopt and implement a policy whereby carers are always consulted and listened to

1. in the assessment and review of individual care
2. where services are planned to be changed or closed

Recognition and Respect

Provide carer-led training and involvement in recruitment for relevant professionals to ensure that they fully understand the vital role played by carers as partners in care and their entitlement to be involved and to have a carers’ assessment.

Good Communication

Establish a data base of carers in Wandsworth, inform them of their rights and entitlements and consult them about developments that may affect their lives.

Quality Breaks

Extend and publicize readily accessible affordable high quality respite care, including emergency respite and respite using the Crossroads model.

Health and well being

Extend and publicize counselling, support group and recreational services for carers, including provision at evenings and weekends taking into account the need of carers to find/pay for alternative care for their service user.

Economic well being

Ensure that the Carers’ Help Line can provide relevant benefits advice, debt counseling and information about employment entitlements.