Site guide
Lobbying and campaigning
Campaigning for change to improve carers' lives is an important role for many organisations. If you as a carer have needs not being met by the help, support and services currently available it may be worth asking for these to be met, not just for yourself but for everyone who will have similar needs in the future.Constant campaigning and lobbying to inform and challenge perceptions can help to bring about the changes that improve the individual lives of carers and is what will ultimately improve life for all carers.
If you would like to get involved or have concerns you want to address there are people who can help:
- By hearing what you have to say and taking the message on for you
- Or work with you, supporting you in your campaign
Take part in Carers Week's campaign for Carers Champions in Primary Care Trusts (added 6.6.08)
This year’s Carers Week theme is Carers can’t afford to be ill, and includes the launch of a campaign to ensure every Primary Care Trust (PCT) in England has a carers lead/champion.Our Health, Our Care, Our Say (produced by the Department of Health) recognises the benefits of PCTs appointing carers leads. Macmillan Cancer Support and the nine other national charities who make up the Carers Week partnership, believe that carers leads can carry out an important role including: developing strategies to help identify carers at risk of ill health; ensuring carers’ health is part of the public health and health promotion agenda; encouraging preventative services, such as regular health checks; ensuring carers are included in hospital admission and discharge planning and policies; and promoting the use of GP carers registers to provide information to carers. Write to your PCT chief executive and find out if they have appointed a carers lead. Use the standard letter and/or add your personal experience to join the call for carers’ needs to be understood and met by the NHS. Once you've filled in a simple form, a letter to your PCT chief executive will come up, which you have the option to amend. You can then chose whether to email it immediately or print off and post a copy. To access log on to www.e-activist.com
Carers Support Service Steering Group
This carer-led group steers and monitors the work of the Carers Support Service and is an opportunity for carers to shape what the service does. These are drop in events; phone to check where the forum will be held as dates and venues may change. Tea and coffee is provided. Contact Hari Chokar on 01903 528600.
Guide for People working with Black Carers
The Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) is looking into services for black carers. Voluntary organisations who work with carers from hard to reach communities are invited to complete a questionnaire which will give them equitable address in the current review of the National Carers Strategy. They would like to encompass and address the needs of carers from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, particularly those from established communities. The CSIP are linked with the Department of Health who have funded this work. To obtain a copy of the questionnaire contact Nita Devabhai at the Mary Seacole Research Centre, 266 London Road, Leicester LE2 1RQ, Tel: 0116 201 3906 or email seacole@dmu.ac.uk
You can get more information from:
www.carersuk.org - Carers UK, the voice of carers, campaigning for their rightsWest Sussex Carers Support Services (formerly West Sussex Carers Network)
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