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

Are you a parent or carer of a child with special educational needs? (added 14.2.13)
SEND, a consortium of charities, including the NAS, are exploring the possibility of setting up an online brokerage to help families of children and young people with special educational needs and/or a disability find the right service. Parents and carers are being asked to share their experiences of finding and accessing the right service for their child. Go to the survey at: www.surveymonkey.com



Don’t Cut Us Out Campaigners welcome the West Sussex LINk Social Care Survey (added 15.10.12)
The Report highlights the situations now faced by hundreds of disabled and elderly people who have lost vital care support since WSCC cut £31 million from its Adult Care budget in April 2011. The Report also points to an inadequate and insensitive assessment process that now leaves the blind, those with mental health issues, disabilities and the elderly whose care needs fall into a ‘moderate' category, without day care services, support with day-to-day needs and without any social interactivity. Pofessional carers within the Don’t Cut Us Out Campaign have produced a booklet ‘The Carers Guide to Surviving the Reassessment Process’ (available free from www.dontcutusout.org.uk). Download a PDF of the West Sussex LINk Survey Report on Social Care at: www.makesachange.org.uk - The Don't Cut Us Out Campaign - Speaking out for the Vulnerable across West Sussex. Contact - Helpline: 01243 555561 Mobile: 07768 395719, Email: dontcutusout@gmail.com or visit www.dontcutusout.org.uk



Independent Living Fund (ILF) petition (added 19.1.12)
Would you like to lose the freedom and control over basic aspects of your life? Think about your day. What have you done? When did you get up, what did you eat, when did you wash? Thousands of people are confronting the terrifying reality of losing such basic freedoms. This is your chance to support the campaign to make the coalition government reconsider its decision to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in 2015. Members of the ILF are disabled people who have been deemed 'severely' disabled and receive funding from ILF. This enables them to have choice and control over our lives with an ethic of 'what we want, when we want'. The money can be used to employ people directly, or in many flexible ways that suit each individual. If the ILF funding stream is stopped we risk living in worse conditions and with less freedom than convicted criminals. Please pledge to sign the petition - the ILF want to get 100,000 signatures. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk

Give Carers a Break campaign (added 17.6.11)
The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care, have launched a campaign called “Give Carers a Break.” The campaign aims at calling for PCTs to use their allocated government funds for carers breaks. The Coalition Government has stated that PCTs must publish their plans and budgets to support carers. However, PCTs will still be able to spend the money on other areas and we are concerned that much of the money will not be used on support for carers. Read more at www.carers.org/givecarersabreak

Support Young Carers petition (added 24.1.11)
If you think that young carers deserve to be recognised and supported within ALL schools, follow the link below to the petition, sign it and share the link with your friends and family. Disability Direct has created this petition and needs people to sign it and share it amongst their friends and family. When there are enough signatures they will send it to No 10 Downing Street. www.petitionbuzz.com

West Sussex Parents Forum
This forum is made up of parents/carers who help West Sussex County Council to plan services for disabled children and young people aged 0-25 years living in West Sussex. It is a campaigning organisation totally independent of West Sussex County Council and aims to represent the views of all parents/carers with disabled children and young people. For more information email parents@westsussexparentsforum.co.uk, visit www.westsussexparentsforum.co.uk or phone 07528 418149.

Carers Support Service Advisory and Review Group (ARG)
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.

You can get more information from:

www.carersuk.org - Carers UK, the voice of carers, campaigning for their rights

West Sussex Carers Support Services

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