Making an Impact for Care Givers

29th October 16

More people identified themselves as care givers in the last year and sought help and support from Carers Trust Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.

Figures published in our Impact and Added Value Report 2016 showed that we supported 8,384 family carers last year – a staggering 47% increase compared to the previous year when 5,700 carers were supported. Ten years ago the figure stood at only 656.

Chief Executive Dr Helen Brown said:

“I’m not prone to hyperbole, but 2015-16 was a spectacular year for us and I’m confident that 2016-17 will be too. We are responding to a prevention strategy to recognise and help people who care earlier by creating Caring Communities, putting older and younger carers on everyone’s radar and doing more to evidence the value and impact of what we do. However good these figures are, we know there are countless more families in the community who we hope we can help too who have not yet been identified.”

During the yer, when Carers Trust Cambridgeshire was awarded a major contract from Cambridgeshire County Council to support care givers in the county and took over some care services in Norfolk, we were able to:
  • Provide 53,611 carers breaks since October 2015 in Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk
  • 48% of Family Carers Prescriptions avoided hospital admission
  • Provide 5,000 hours of care for children with special educational needs
  • Facilitate 1,026 Family Carers Prescriptions issued by GP surgeries
  • Carry out 498 statutory Carer’s Assessments and support plans
  • Arrange 222 events for young carers and young adult carers
  • Signpost 1,594 carers to 122 other organisations

The number of unpaid family carers is predicted to continue rising as more people recognise themselves as carers eligible for support – people who dedicate themselves to looking after family, a partner or friend, including many who are elderly and may be in poor health themselves.