A huge thank you to all of you who joined us, Centre 33, Making Space, Pinpoint, Family Voice Peterborough, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council for the Virtual Carers Conference 2022, which took place on Wednesday 23 November, the eve of Carers Rights Day.
Around 70 people, including carers of all ages and people who work with carers, attended the day-long conference, where they listened to the powerful experiences of carers. Carer organisations, local authorities and health professionals in Cambridgeshire took away from the conference, clear key issues that they need to consider when supporting carers.
The key issues included:
- Support for carers in the Peterborough area.
- Need for more information about the benefits of a carer having a carer’s assessment.
- Need to ensure the work around parent carer assessments and parent carer transition assessments continues.
- Need for an All Age Carers’ Strategy action plan.
Below are the conference presentation slides, a recording of the conference which is in four parts plus a list of useful resources.
Virtual Carers Conference presentation slides [PDF, 3MB]
Recordings of the Virtual Carers Conference 2022
Introduction – carers’ experiences with health and social care experience
The impact of caring on carers
Support available for carers and carers’ rights
Centre 33 Young Carers Voices film and introduction to young carers
Useful resources
Introduction/Setting the scene
- We Care Video – https://vimeo.com/715878993
- Young Carers animation – https://youtu.be/A1aialRYG50
Experience with health and social care professionals
- Carers UK – coming out of hospital checklist for carers
- Carers Speak Out report
- Carers Speak Out report [PDF, 4MB]
- Find out more at www.caringtogether.org/carers-speak-out and carers can still have their say and post messages via the Carers Speak Out webpage
- James’ Story (young carer’s experience of hospital discharge) – https://youtu.be/CJXvROXEa3I
- Carer Friendly Tick Award – https://www.caringtogether.org/professionals/carer-friendly-tick-award/ – you can see who has achieved the Carer Friendly Tick Award at https://www.caringtogether.org/professionals/carer-friendly-tick-award/hall-of-fame/
The impact of caring on carers
- Out of the Woods – NHS England young carers animation about impact of caring – https://youtu.be/HZz0uU72eOo
Support available for carers and carers’ rights
- Sign-up for carers magazine and inside news email newsletter- https://www.caringtogether.org/keepintouch/
- Register for a What If? Plan and your carers card – https://www.caringtogether.org/support-for-carers/adult-carers/whatifplan/
- Caring Together guide to emergency planning
- Contact Caring Together on 0345 241 0954 or email [email protected] or visit www.caringtogether.org
- Contact Centre 33 on 0333 414 1809, email [email protected], visit www.centre33.org.uk, or online referral form for young carers – https://centre33.org.uk/young-carers-online-referral-form/
- Contact Making Space on 01480 211006 or email C&[email protected]
- After Umbrage (free short-term respite, holiday accommodation free for carers supporting someone with life limiting and terminal conditions and recently (within last 12 months) bereaved carers – After Umbrage – UK Charity – Caring for those that care – Caring Together can help you to access this
- Carefree (links unpaid carers in with vacant accommodation so they can have a break – https://carefreespace.org/) – Caring Together can help you to access this
- Carers UK (factsheets, online forum) – https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice
- Mobilise (regular virtual cuppas, Facebook group for carers, online resources) – https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/
- Carers’ directory – https://www.caringtogether.org/carers-directory/ (you can also phone the carer helpline at Caring Together if you can’t access it online).
Young Carers
- Caring Together trips, groups, workshops and activities – to see upcoming opportunities for young carers, visit https://www.caringtogether.org/events/
- Sense (support for young siblings) – https://www.sense.org.uk/our-services/support-for-children/support-for-young-carers-and-siblings/
- SIBS support for young or adult siblings – https://www.sibs.org.uk/youngsibs/
- Young Carers Alliance resources (such as lists of books which include young carers) – https://www.caringtogether.org/professionals/media-research-and-policy/young-carers-alliance/resources/
- Young Carers Support App (can be downloaded for free on Android or Apple phones and no need to register any information with the app) – https://www.caringtogether.org/support-for-carers/young-carers/app-for-young-carers/ and you can see a video about the App – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EksdeEjICs
Parent Carers
- Contact (helpline, listening ear service, workshops, online information) – https://contact.org.uk/
- Family Fund (charity providing grants to families of children with seriously ill or disabled children) – https://www.familyfund.org.uk/
- Over The Wall (charity for children with health challenges and disabilities, and their families – mix of in-person and virtual camps) – https://www.otw.org.uk/
- National Autistic Society monthly carers’ support group in Cambridge – whether they care for a child or an adult – http://www.nascambridge.org.uk/families/carers-support-groups/
Carer’s Rights
- Carers UK guide to flexible working – https://www.carersuk.org/component/cck/?task=download&collection=file_list&xi=0&file=document&id=7317
- Carers First short video about rights for carers in the workplace – https://youtu.be/qCsGlf2ZjEQ
- Caring Together factsheet about Carers’ rights [PDF, kB]
- Mobilise information about carers’ rights and the law – https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/carers-rights
Introduction to Young Carers
- Centre 33 – Young Carers voices film – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTjLbAcy3sw
