Carers
This is Deborah Sturdy, Interim Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care's first blog of 2021 and one which she finds herself posting in unprecedented times. She is nonetheless honoured to have this opportunity to work with - not just the nursing profession - but the whole social care workforce, as together the sector strives to meet the continuing challenges of COVID-19.
Professional Care Workers’ Week (1-4 September) happens every year. Although in its relative infancy, the events of the last few months have made these dedicated days of awareness raising more vital than ever. Karolina Gerlich, Executive Director of the Care Workers' Charity explains why she wants to see the care and support sector adopt, support, and promote the week’s themes, values and aspirations.
Caring can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Right now, many unpaid carers are dealing with even greater challenges as the coronavirus outbreak continues to affect all our lives. This year's Carers Week: Make Caring Visible, throws that fact into sharp relief.
Connecting has never meant so much Mental health Awareness Week has taken on a whole new meaning for me during this current pandemic. The theme for this week has been 'kindness matters' which is so important to our mental wellbeing. …
Gareth Howells is CEO of Carers Trust. In this guest blog, Gareth explains how coronavirus is making the lives of unpaid carers even more difficult than before, and what Carers Trust is doing, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care and others, to support them during the pandemic.
Care and NHS colleagues have rightly been celebrated for their amazing dedication, kindness and bravery during this health crisis, but we must show the same appreciation and support for the thousands of unpaid carers across the country. Recently published guidance on GOV.UK is just one part of that...
Our care and support colleagues need our understanding, compassion and support, just as we expect them to do the same for the most vulnerable in our society. As the #COVID-19 outbreak continues, Lisa Lenton, England Director for the Association for Real Change and currently Chair of the Care Provider Alliance explains why the way we treat and perceive these amazing professionals is critical to the health and wellbeing of us all.
In our last blog for International Womens Day, it is once again an honour to host a new blog from Fatima Khan Shah. Fatima remains a tireless campaigner for unpaid carers and for the need to recognise, support and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of working women in the 21st Century.
Fatima Khan Shah, unpaid carer representative in the NHS West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, knows from personal experience that caring can be extremely rewarding. It can also impact on our health and wellbeing in dramatic ways - and at any age. On Young Carers Awareness Day she considers the ways we can improve identification, care and support for our thousands of young carers..
Today is Young Carers Awareness Day, an annual event led and organised by Carers Trust. The day aims to raise awareness of the pressures experienced by young carers – children who need to look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled or misuses drugs or alcohol.
To mark the day, we invited Gareth Howells, CEO of Carers Trust, to reflect on the importance of young carers, and how we can all do more to support them.
