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Welcome to this month's carers bulletin. Firstly a massive thank you to the Young Carers Project who took over last month's bulletin, raising awareness of caring through childhood and as a young adult.
Carers have been in the again news this month, with a focus on the ever increasing population of us that are managing caring alongside employment. Carers UK have published some recent findings which suggest that the caring population in the workplace is higher than ever, with possibly 1 in 7 employees at any time managing work alongside caring. It's thought that an astonishing 600 people leave work every day in the UK because of their caring responsibilities. Read the report. If you want to know more about your rights as an employee or as a employer of people, then ADASS have helped us regionally develop some good practice guidance.
There's a lot going on in the city and this month's bulletin highlights some of the key projects that are going on within the city...
Healthwatch Coventry is collecting experiences of respite/replacement care in order to understand how well this support is working for family carers and those who are cared for.
Healthwatch Coventry works to give local people a say about their social care and health services and working in the interests of local people. Healthwatch does not run respite services, we are independent.
Respite care, also known as replacement care or short breaks is any care arrangement designed to give rest or relief to family carers.
To take part please contact us by phone on 024 7622 0381 (option 3 for Healthwatch) or email yoursay@healthwatchcoventry.co.uk and we will arrange a phone interview, visit, or send you a copy of the survey – whichever is best for you.
Find out more about Healthwatch Coventry at www.healthwatchcoventry.co.uk.
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This month we wanted to showcase one of the many vital services that the Carers Trust have established.
Being in hospital is a stressful time for everyone involved. It can be hard to start planning for a discharge or thinking about future ahead, but all too often necessary. It's not uncommon to feel overwhelmed so having the right information and advice and a supporting ear can help with making some of those vital decisions.
Tahira Procter (pictured) is the Hospital Discharge Carer Support Worker appointed by the Carers Trust-Heart of England. The Carers Trust aims to improve the lives of family carers in Coventry by providing information, advice and practical support to meet their current and future needs. Tahira is based at UHCW every Monday and Thursday.
Carers Trust office has moved from the Main Entrance to the office next to Volunteer Co-ordinators office on the First Floor East Wing between Wards 10 and 11. More guidance can be taken through Information Desk at the main Entrance Hall on ground floor.
Through the services, one-to-one information, advice and support to the carers is provided on the following:
- Hospital Discharge care plan
- Carers Assessment
- Benefits
- CRESS/Emergency service
- Training
- Social and leisure activities
- Support groups and much more…
- And most importantly a listening ear
If you want more information about the service you can contact the Carers Trust Heart of England on 024 7610 1040.
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The Chinese Carers group at the Carers Trust Heart of England celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Pig on 5 February by celebrating in style at Wing Wah Restaurant.
The event was attended by the Lord Mayor of Coventry Cllr John Blundell and Lady Mayoress Mrs Lindsel Blundell, Coventry's Lady Godiva Pru Poretta and key representatives from the Carers Trust. Carers, friends and family celebrated the night together, having a wonderful time.
If you'd like to know more about the Chinese Carers Group, you can contact the Carers Trust on 024 7610 1040.
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Coventry Dementia Inclusive Community launched this month. This group compliments the Coventry and Warwickshire Dementia Action Alliance and is made up of community members (including people living with dementia), voluntary organisations and businesses. The group gives Coventry an opportunity to stimulate more local activities, which we hope will help with raising awareness of dementia across the city.
The group’s first focus is to make an impact during Dementia Action Week (20 – 26 May 2019). During this week we will be asking people to consider what small steps they can take to becoming more dementia inclusive. Whether this be by attending a Dementia Friend’s session or by improving the signage in your local community buildings. Any action, big or small, will help Coventry Dementia Inclusive Community to achieve this aim.
If you are passionate about dementia and would like to get involved in this, please come along to our next meeting on Wednesday 27 March, between 10am and 12noon at Coventry Central Library. For more information about this please contact Alice Williams on awilliams@belgrade.co.uk
If you would like more information about dementia or if we can offer you any dementia-related support, please telephone Coventry Alzheimer’s Society office on 024 7665 2602 or email us on coventry@alzheimers.org.uk
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Get involved at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
The Trust welcomes its patients, relatives, carers and the general population of Coventry and Warwickshire to get involved in its services through its Patient Partners Programme and Patient & Public Involvement Panel:
Patient Partner Programme: There are three Patient Partner roles each offering a wide variety of interesting tasks. Here is a brief example of the type of tasks you could get involved with as a Patient Partner:
Patient Partner - Role 1:
- Conducting patient surveys including the Friends and Family Test and other ad hoc surveys either at Trust or Specialty/Departmental level;
- Informally talking with patients on various wards/areas to discuss their experience in hospital, e.g. listen to suggestions on food and drink, cleanliness, noise levels and waiting times;
- Membership of Trust’s Patients’ Forum (this is dependent on election).
Patient Partner - Role 2:
- Participating in improvement projects within the Trust;
- Undertaking observational audits, including environmental, infection control, communication, information and others;
- Possible membership of Trust’s Patients’ Forum (this is dependent on election).
Patient Partner - Role 3:
- Membership of Trust wide forums to provide lay perspective including Strategic Committees of the Trust
- Sitting on staff appointment panels;
- Membership of Trust’s Patients’ Forum (dependent on election).
Patient & Public Involvement Panel: for those who prefer to get involved from the comfort of their own home then please join the Trust’s virtual Patient and Public Involvement Panel. As a member you will, for example:
- Receive quarterly newsletters containing interesting features about the Trust
- Be kept informed of patient experience improvements
- Be kept informed of involvement events
If you would like to find out more about these exciting opportunities to get involved please contact the Patient Involvement Team on 024 7696 5186 or email involve@uhcw.nhs.uk.
It’s simple! Just add your email address in the top right hand corner and click GO!
You can also sign up or view previous bulletins from our Carers' website.
If you have any comments or wish to contribute something to the next bulletin, please let us know by contacting us at carers@coventry.gov.uk.
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