Hello

[Brett_1511]

Hi My name is Brett and I have been a carer for almost 7 years.
I am a professional carer and also look after my elderly Grandmother and Uncle.

Also a side note to user Ladybird who made me feel most unwelcomed yesterday, this is posted under forum rules, and does not state it is a forum solely for carers of family.

"Our forum is open to all carers over the age of 18, whatever your circumstances. We are a supportive community where carers can freely express themselves among people who understand the ups and downs of caring. You must be a member of Carers UK to use the forum."

I neither felt supported or was I able to freely express myself, so just as I am posting this to say hello it is also a goodbye, I am not staying where I was made to feel unwelcomed.

[jenny lucas]

Brett hi - I'm pretty sure you aren't the only member here to be both a professional carer AND a personal carer to someone in your family. There's at least one other member here who has both roles. That means I'm sure you're eligible!

Please don't leave, at least for the time being. If you don't want to take part yet/again, then roam around the site, read the posts, and see if any of them 'ring a bell' with you.

I'm sure the moderators will give you the guidance and clarification necessary to work out whether you can or can't b e a member, but I think that because you look after your own grandmother and uncle, that makes it perfectly OK!

What are the particular needs of your g/m and uncle? Do they live together, or are you dashing about back and forth between them?

Kind regards, Jenny

[Henrietta]

Hi Brett and welcome to the site. I wear both hats like you but joined the site for support on the personal side. Nearly all the chat is based around caring for family and friends but occasionally I offer an opinion based on something I may have come across elsewhere. I hope you stick around. I have sent you a PM.

[jenny lucas]

You know, looking at the wording that Brett quoted, it doesn't indeed distinguish between 'family/personal' carers and professional carers. Maybe it does elsewhere? If not, I can understand the confusion!

[ladybird]

Seeing as I have been named, I'll respond as I feel pretty offended by what Brett has said - and as he deleted his post, and I deleted mine so it didn't look nonsensical, nobody can see what was said. Brett, you made no mention of the fact that you cared for family members, just that you were a profession Caree. You even altered your username to prof carer. I am also aware of members here who are paid careworkers as well as caring for family, and I feel that you haven't been entirely upfront abou what I said.
We get careworkers on here who aren't caring, apart from their professional duties - because of the name, Carers UK, they assume its a site for them, professional careworkers, which is why I asked.
I wasn't unwelcoming at all, I said that this site was really for unpaid carers who look after a relative or friend, and not for paid careworkers, unless you looked after somebody unpaid too?

I don't think I have ever made anyone unwelcome, the question I asked was purely for clarification and I certainly wasn't rude in any way - it is the same question that is often asked on the forum.
It's not a problem though, if people here think I would be like that, I think my time to leave is well overdue. The floor is yours.

[bowlingbun]

Ladybird, I saw all the posts concerned. To my own way of thinking you acted entirely correctly, and with your usual politeness. It is a real shame when the volunteers on this site who act as moderators get this sort of treatment. NO you are not allowed to go. For various reasons, I've popped into the forum a lot recently. Infrequent visitors may not be aware of the number of inappropriate messages the mods have to deal with, because they get taken down asap. Today has been especially bad, about 8 I think! So I'd just like to say thanks to the mods for all their hard work.

[jenny lucas]

Ladybird, I echo BB! If Brett hadn't originally mentioned being a family carer as well, then it's quite understandable that you pointed out that the forum is not for professional carers.

That said, I can also see, as I put in my second post, that unless there is more elaboration than the passage that Brett quoted, newbies might find it unclear that the forum is designed only for family carers, not for professional-only carers!

I think it was Eun (I think!) who mentioned a good while back that maybe the term 'carers' should be reserved for 'family carers' and that the term 'care-workers' should be applied for 'professional carers'.

Clearly it's a little confusing as is!

(I wonder if there is a forum somewhere that is reserved for professional carers/careworkers? Then we could signpost towards it possibly!)

[Juggler]

The 'Why we are here' section makes it clear that the forum is about carers who support loved ones:
https://www.carersuk.org/about-us/why-we-re-here

I didn't see the original posts but have seen many others that ask newies to be specific about who they care for so forum members can give the best advice possible. It's no more than a virtual way of checking than you've come to the right building when you are standing at the door.

[Henrietta]

Let's hope now we've cleared all that up that Brett sticks around and finds the site informative and feels free to join in . I'm sure he will soon realise that Ladybird regularly makes important contributions to the smooth running of things and offers much good advice on here.
The problem with forums is that you can't see the person you are " talking" to and miss the way that things are meant some times.