Agenda item

Sarah Farragher, Adult Social Care, and Jayne Price, Carers Forum

Sarah Farragher, Adult Social Care, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

The Carers Strategy

-          The Strategy is being co-produced

-          There are now members of the Carers Forum on the group alongside officers from RMBC, Health and the voluntary sector

-          The Strategy is progressing well and is on track for sign-off at the Health and Wellbeing Board in June

-          Plan is to launch during Carers Week

-          Carers Strategy Group will become the delivery group

-          Carers information booked to be produced

 

Pledges

-          That every carer in Rotherham is recognised and supported to maintain their health, wellbeing and personal outcomes

-          That carers in Rotherham are not financially disadvantaged as a result of their caring role

-          That carers are recognised and respected as partners in care

-          That carers can enjoy a life outside caring

 

Carers Forum

-          Re-launched in January, 2016 and operating independently of the Council

 

The Strategy was still in draft form and would be submitted to the June meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board for sign-off.  It would be launched during Carers Week.

 

Jayne Price, Carers Forum, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

 

Rotherham Carers Forum

-          An independent voice for Rotherham’s informal carers

 

Over the years:-

-          Long established forum – step up by dedicated and enthusiastic carers and professionals

-          Been actively involved in supporting carers: meetings, information, Carers’ Week, Carers’ Rights Day etc.

-          Changes over the years e.g. bases, officers

-          Partner groups developed e.g. Carers 4 Carers, Rotherham Parents Forum Ltd. and Lost in Transition

 

Forum

-          The Forum was a successful group which provided a place for carers to meet, listen to guest speakers, share experiences and provide a platform for informal carers

-          Health and Wellbeing partners provided the resources for the Carers’ Co-ordinator at Carers’ Corner

 

Recent Challenges

-          In 2014 the Carers’ Co-ordinator resigned from RMBC

-          Carers’ Corner relocated to the RAIN building

-          Where was the Constitution?

-          No available assets

-          Low attendance

-          Many people believed that the Forum had folded

 

Challenges

-          “Challenges are what makes life interesting and overcoming them is what makes live meaningful”

 

Big Task Ahead

-          The Forum needed a Constitution

-          Assets needed to be freed up and a new bank account opened

-          The status needed to be clarified as independent

-          The word needed to be out that we are still in business

 

Hard work paid off

-          Interim Officers were elected as a Steering Group

-          An interim Constitution was adopted

-          A new bank account was opened

-          We managed to get a cheque re-dated

-          We had a fantastic re-launch with great feedback

-          Our first funding bid has been successful

 

Where are we now

-          Monthly meetings with full agendas

-          We are a ‘critical friend’ and ‘co-productive’

-          Working with partners e.g. RMBC, Crossroads especially Carer Resilience, Alzheimer’s Society, Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group, Barnardo’s Young Carers, Age UK Rotherham, Carers 4 Carers, Rotherham Parents Forum Ltd. – providing an ‘Umbrella Forum’

-          Current work involves:-

An active contributor in the Carers’ Strategy

Being a lead in Carers’ Week 2016 (1st-6^th June)

Being a member of Rotherfed

 

Our wish list

-          Get more carers involved and find the hidden ones

-          Redeveloping and re-launching the Forum has been hard work and work needs to be shared to be sustainable

-          The Forum’s own resources are not an infinite pot – redevelopment has been on a beg and borrow basis – support is much needed and always welcome

-          Look at employing staff as work so far has been voluntary

-          Move from ‘interim’ to permanent

-          Be in a position where we can pass a fully operational and successful Forum onto future carers

 

www.rotherhamcarersforum.co.uk

 

Rotherham Carers Forum email:

 

enquiries@rotherhamcarersforum.co.uk

 

Discussion ensued on the presentations with the following issues highlighted:-

 

-          The Midnight Memory Walk for the Hospice is on the 11^th/12th June.  It would be an opportunity for carers to encourage other carers they met on the walk to be part of the Carers' Forum

 

-          How would you reach hidden carers?  Some carers may be reluctant to attend meetings

       During Carers’ Week, Carers 4 Carers would be going into the Hospital giving general information and looking for hidden carers.  There would also be a stall at Tesco’s.  Through being there and starting up a conversation with people in an informal setting it might be possible to identify those hidden carers.  It was hoped to do a Carnival for Carers outside the RAIN building with various tables and people presenting how they could make carers’ lives better.  The theme for Carers’ week this year was building carer friendlier communities.

 

The Forum was considering how to reach those that would not attend meetings.  One of the ideas was to actually go on line and build the community online so it could be an information hub and two-way forum where people could ask things.  Times were a lot different now with the financial constraints but attempts were being made to address those issues

 

-          Young carers would be some of the hidden carers and there may have to be a different way of reaching young carers than there would be for adult carers.  Would the Forum’s Facebook page be geared towards the young carers?

The Carers’ Forum had a Facebook page which currently had ninety-one members.  The Forum was looking to attract people to join and also to send news/any relevant information via this method as it was a good way of getting out to the young carers who tended to use social media

 

The Carers Strategy was in draft and did not contain all the young carers’ information due to it not being ready in time.  There was some extra work to be included that had been carried out by Paul Theaker alongside Barnardos

 

When previously presented it was stated that the Strategy was about people caring for adults regardless of their age.  It was the future intention for it to become a Strategy for all Carers, including parent carers; the Carers’ Forum covered all carers

 

-          Are you confident that the delivery of the plan will be performance managed against the action plan? 

There was an action plan attached to the Strategy.  It had not been presented to the Commission because it currently contained actions but not the accountabilities; by the time it went to the Health and Wellbeing Board it would have all the actions and responsible Officer

 

-          Was the role of triangle of care approach been considered?

The principles of the triangle of care in terms of the Act that the carer was part of everything had been embedded all the way through the Strategy

 

-          Was there any resilience work done about carers with GP?

There was a lot of work going on with the GPs at the moment.  There were Carers Resilience clinics taking place which were specifically targeted at GPs.  This would go into the handbook that accompanied the Strategy

 

-          Can you give more detail around the Carers Pathway?

The development of the Carers Pathway came under the “we will” so the final action plan would have the detail of how that would be done.  Some of the issues the Directorate were working through was a number of things that the Carers’ Forum would like to lead on but it was a voluntary organisation so a need to balance how the management of that was supported

 

The latest draft of the Better Care Fund referred to a jointly commissioned carer service

 

-          Can you give some detail around the Carers Needs Assessment?

At the moment the Assessment was something carried out by Social Workers or Social Care Workers based historically on how things had been done.  Through the implementation of the plan, Assessments would be carried out by more people and recognised by more so it would not have to be a Council Officer to enable the carer to get a service

 

-          Frequent reference was made to “Carers Assessment” but at the time of Scrutiny Review the document was “Carers Need Form” and “Care Plan”.  Members of the Scrutiny Review recommended that that name be used rather than Carers Assessment in light of the feedback from the carers who had felt that it was an assessment of them and their ability to care rather than picking up on the support they needed as carers.  Has there been any discussion on that?

We will change it

 

Sarah and Jayne were thanked for their presentation.

 

The report was noted.