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Powys Carers Service Newsletter - Autumn 2004 - Page:
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Directors Welcome
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Welcome to the autumn
2004 edition of the Powys Carers Service Newsletter. I hope
you had a good summer, although I think ours was a bit washed
out this year.
There is an awful lot of information in this edition and I hope
you find it useful. In it we look back at both an eventful and
fun carers week, take a serious look at respite services for
carers of children with disabilities, celebrate the approval
of the new Carers Equal Opportunities Bill and look at some
stress aids for young carers returning to school. We also have
some dates for your diary, including our AGM and Carers Rights
Day in December. |
We are always looking for more input from you the carers into this
newsletter and would like to hear your views on current service provisions
available and any suggestions on new services you would like to see
developed. You could send in photos of activities you’ve attended
with your local support group or let us know of events happening in
your area. The more information we receive, the more we will put in.
Finally, I would like to thank those of you that I had the pleasure
to meet during carers week. It was nice to be able to share
your stories and experiences, including those young carers from
Newtown who exhausted me with their dancing, and I look forward
to meeting more of you on Carers Rights Day.
Best Wishes.
Kate Young- Director,
Powys Carers Service. |
Thank you to all those carers who
came to the Royal Welsh Show |
Hello
I’ve
been asked to write a little to introduce myself in my capacity as
a Trustee/Board Director and Vice-Chair of PCS Ltd and as a Carer
.I am now coming up to 46 years of age and if I had been asked/ expected
to take on a Carer’s role back in 2001 it would have been the
furthest thought from my mind!
…..Initially training as a teacher then going on to gain Post
Graduate Qualification in Social Work/ Psychology I have spent over
20 years working as a Career Professional within The Criminal Justice
Sector plus Health and Social Work. Since 1994 I have also underpinned
my Professional life with a variety of work related Business Ventures
(Private Community Care provision for Adults with psychiatric disorder
and Social Health Care) Management Training/Consultancy, non-work
related business activities related to Leisure Provision and Products.
In 1998 I gained formal Business Qualification - Diploma in Management
Studies.
….In 2001/2 my life pattern; life style; and life needs changed
dramatically as I took on full time responsibility to care for my
Mother – issues for which I was least prepared for in practice.
It was as a result of becoming a Carer that I became interested in
Carers’ issues and which influenced my decision to become eventually
involved with PCS Ltd. I think that for many Carers caring at "the
sharp end" can be a relentless and thankless task being demand
driven, open ended and evolving – in terms of what you have
to do, when you do it and why you do it – so what gives?
For some carers the "time" scale of caring may be more predictable,
for others it may be a balance of combining personal work pressures
and personal needs within their caring role. For some it can become
a lifelong obligation. Caring is also heavily influenced by where
we live (rural:town:city); access to services, quality and quantity
of those services; and the fact that some carers require more hands
on support, guidance and help than other carers.
Likewise "Time", "Personal Energy" and "Money"
can also be governing issues which affect a carer’s ability
in providing and sustaining consistent and appropriate support to
the cared for. Issues which can only go to complicate an already difficult
and complex situation.
…..Support I hope that with my Professional background, knowledge
and skills coupled with being a "hands-on" carer and my
understanding of carers issues that I can assist PCS Ltd in becoming
a service that it justly deserves to be. A forward thinking, progressive
and quality provider of carer oriented services in Powys.
Martyn Jenkins
Vice Chair and Treasurer Carers
Rights Day - 3rd December - Roadshow Metropole Hotel
Information on Local Services
Therapies
Buffet Lunch
Everyone Welcome
Carers jubilant as new rights become law
Sam’s Bill becomes Sam’s Act
It’s made it! Another historic chapter in the campaign for
equal rights for carers has now been written onto the statute books.
The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday
22 July 2004 and became an Act of Parliament. It will come into
force on 1 April 2005.
Under the new law, carers will have to be told about their rights;
will have more opportunities for work, education and life-long learning
and there will be greater collaboration between statutory services
to help them in their caring roles.
The dubbing of the name of the Bill is in memory of the son of Dr
Hywel Francis MP for Aberavon and his wife, Mair, who cared for
Sam until he died at the age of 16. Both knew from personal experience
what could help and improve the lives of carers and they worked
with Carers UK and Carers Wales to bring their dreams to fruition.
At the heart of the success of the Bill has been the unanimous support
of all those involved – from its broad cross-party support
in Parliament, its backing from major unions and numerous organisations
across England and Wales, including employers such as British Gas.
Its success was boosted when government gave its support. The roots
of the Bill go back to the recommendations of the National Carers
Strategy, which Tony Blair did so much to move up the social agenda
in his early days as Prime Minister.
Roz Williamson, Director of Carers Wales said;
This is a tremendous step forward for carers, giving
them vital new rights and, importantly, creating a new culture and
view of carers in the public eye. It will benefit tens of thousands
of carers every year. We are very proud of what we have helped to
achieve for carers.
So many carers give up work in order to care and their contribution
goes unrecognised. All too soon their caring can become 24 hours
a day, seven days a week. Carers describe this legislation as recognising
that they, too, have a right to work and a right to a life outside
caring.
Dr Hywel Francis MP says:
This is a tremendous day personally for Mair and me - having cared
for our son Sam, as well as all those other carers who need support
and information. It has been a long journey of hope and I am delighted
to have got this far. I am now keen for my Act to make a real difference
for carers and it is vital that we concentrate on ensuring that
is implemented
New - Qualification for Unpaid Carers (City
and Guilds)
The Certificate in Personal Development and Learning for Unpaid
Carers.
City and Guilds has developed the first qualification of its kind
designed to help unpaid carers back into employment or further training.
The Certificate in Personal Development and Learning for Unpaid
Carers gives unpaid carers a qualification that can help in achieving
personal goals. The Certificate is supported by Learning for Living,
an online learning resource. Learners who don’t want to do
a qualification can choose just the online resource.
Are you a carer who would like to learn more about online learning
or a carer centre who would like to provide online learning facilities
to carers? Both the Learning for Living resource and the Certificate
in Personal Development and Learning for Unpaid Carers will be available
from Autumn 2004.
For more information contact 020 7294 8217
Website: www.city-and-guilds.co.uk/learningforliving
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