Carers Wales believes that carers are the experts in caring. We support carers to be actively involved in improving things for themselves and for other carers. One way carers can do this is to be involved in improving the way the services they rely on are designed and delivered. Strong carers' voices are needed now, at this most difficult time, more than ever.
Pat McCarthy runs our project to help carers get involved. She goes out and about in Wales, meeting carers who want to change things at local and national levels. She is working with groups of carers, developing their confidence and skills so can make their voices heard, to be informed campaigners and to become active partners in the planning and development of better services to support them and the people they look after.
The project isn't just about the formal involvement of carers in service delivery. We know that it's vital that carers' voices are raised at every opportunity and many carers just want to contribute to one specific consultation or campaign. As an example, recently we undertook a series of focus groups to gather evidence for the Older Person's Commissioner's Review into dignity and respect for older people in hospital. The results were heart breaking to read in some cases and the carers involved feel they have made an important contribution to an important review.
Pat is currently working with a number of local carer's forums to help carers improve their effectiveness in working with their local authority and health boards. Could your area benefit from this sort of initiative?
Training in assertiveness and campaigning skills can also be delivered to groups of carers. A typical example is the course delivered in Rhondda Cynon Taff. From this, carers are planning a follow-on day to create a campaign around respite services.
If you have an issue or an idea for getting involved that you would like to have a close look at why not contact Pat to discuss it? Ring Pat on 02920 811370 or email on pat.mccarthy@carerswales.org.uk
This project has been funded by a grant from the Waterloo Foundation. We are very grateful for their support.
