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Powys Carers Service Newsletter - Spring 2005 - Page:
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Directors Welcome
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Hello and welcome
to the first newsletter of 2005. This is a very sad occasion
for me as it will also be the last newsletter that I oversee
as Director of Powys Carers Service. I am off to pastures
new and will be taking up the post of Assistant Director for
SCOVO in Wales, which will I’m sure provide me with
many new challenges as well as some familiar ones.
Although I am looking forward to this new opportunity that
has been offered to me, I must confess that the timing was
not by choice as I would have happily stayed with Powys Carers
for longer, but as many of you will understand when opportunities
arise they should be taken.
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Over the last year I have watched Powys Carers
Service grow and develop into a proactive service supporting carers
in their local communities. There have been some great events, the
Launch attended by HRH the Princess Royal, the events held during
Carers Week and the Carers Rights Day, which saw Deputy Minister John
Griffiths acknowledging all of the hard work that carers living in
Powys do. We have also benefited from several young carer events too.
The database of carers that we support has grown considerably, with
around 820 carers now registered with the service. Some of the support
groups on the ground have become more independent and are running
their own activity agendas, whilst others that were already independent
are more financially secure. It is the support that these local groups
give that provides carers with the chance to share their concerns
with others that live locally to them, and I would like to thank the
support groups for their help over the last year.
We have a strong team of outreach workers, whose skills and dedication
ensure that carers’ issues are addressed and problems are worked
through wherever possible. It is also down to our staff team’s
hard work that the organisation has continued to grow and meet the
increasing demands placed on us, and for that I would like to thank
my staff for all of their support and hard work over the last eighteen
months that I have been here.
We have also been very fortunate to receive the support of key people
working in our Local Authority, the Local Health Board and other voluntary
agencies. Powys Carers Service benefits through good working relations
with our partner agencies and it is due to the goodwill and support
of these agencies that we have been able to develop the service and
are now looking towards the future possibilities.
Finally I would like to thank all of you as carers for your support
over the last eighteen months. Since being in post I have had the
opportunity to meet some of you at various events and support groups
and you have shared with me your thoughts and suggestions about the
service. Your advice and support has been invaluable and I hope you
will continue to guide and influence the service in years to come.
As a carer, both this and all carers’ services will remain close
to my heart and I wish you and Powys Carers all the very best in the
future.
Kate Young
Director, Powys Carers Service.
RED CROSS SERVICES
The Red Cross in Powys offer a range of services which carers may
be able to access. These include throughout the county:
Home from Hospital support assisting patients (and their families)
following a period of hospitalisation.
Therapeutic Care - hand, nail, shoulder massage (through clothing)
undertaken in various carers groups and other venues.
Skin Camouflage - which aims to help individuals who have a disfigurement
by teaching them the techniques necessary to apply camouflage creams
and powder effectively.
First Aid Training - for individuals and groups.
Loan of Wheelchairs and Commodes - The Red Cross also provide a community
equipment service on behalf of the health and social services for
aids to daily living and nursing equipment.
Within the Machynlleth area The Red Cross also have a day centre and
dial a ride service.
The Red Cross in conjunction with Powys Carers are also undertaking
research into the provision of a carers emergency card scheme. Responses
to the need for this service have been positive and the next step
is to consider how a scheme in such a large area as Powys can be provided
taking account of ‘on call’ arrangements, rapid support
and financial consequences. It is hoped a decision on whether a scheme
is feasible will be made in early spring.
Further information on these main services is available from The Red
Cross offices in Newtown on 01686 626663 or Brecon
01874 610462.
INTRODUCING Dr Brian Gibbons
The new Minister for Health and Social Services
Brian Gibbons FRCGP (Labour - Aberavon) is the
new Minister for Health and Social Services. Born in Dublin in 1950
he is a GP for Blaengwynfi. A member of the BMA and the Medical Practitioners
Union (MSF). He is a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners,
and a former Secretary to the Morgannwg Local Medical Committee. Also
a school governor, his interests include health, education and European
Union.
We asked Dr. Gibbons for his views on carers.
1. As a GP, you will have a lot of contact with carers.
ii. What impact do you think caring has on the health and well-being
of carers?
iii. How do you think GP practices can support carers?
A. The Carers UK paper “In Poor Health” published
in December highlighted many of the barriers that carers face to keeping
themselves healthy - this includes time for exercise and relaxation
which the paper rightly identifies as vital components for looking
after yourself. Other published research studies have demonstrated
the impact that caring can have on carers’ emotional health,
particularly for those providing over 20 hours of care per week.
I recognise that people are very different in the way that caring
for others affects them as individuals, but there are several common
issues including the need for timely information and appropriate support.
As a GP my starting point would be the British Medical Association’s
“Working with carers: guidelines for good practice” which
details ways in which GPs can help.
Probably the biggest single contribution GPs can make is identifying
carers and signposting them to the services that are available. On
this basis the quality framework of the new GP contract provides direct
incentives for practices to have a protocol for the identification
of carers and a mechanism for the referral of carers for social services
assessment.
2. You are also a school governor. How can schools help young
carers?
A. Schools need to have policies for supporting young carers,
that are reviewed regularly. A key issue for young carers is confidentiality,
and young carers themselves should be consulted to develop arrangements
that they are comfortable with. Teachers and support staff should
be encouraged to be aware of the warning signs, and to know what support
structures and services are available, such as Young Carers’
Projects, Education Welfare Officers, Social Inclusion Officers and
local social services. The Welsh Assembly Government issued a training
package to all schools in June 2004 which covered these issues and
which should be a useful resource for professionals working in this
area. Later this year we intend to follow this up with a short study
to identify and publicise good practice.
3. You work closely in Aberavon with Dr. Hywel Francis MP.
What impact do you think the new Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act
2004 will have on services and support for carers?
A. I think that the legislation that Hywel introduced as “Sam’s
Bill” is an important step towards improving services. There
are three key elements to the 2004 Act that I would like to highlight.
The first is empowerment of carers through knowledge of their rights
and of the services that can be available. The Act places a duty on
Local Authorities to inform carers of their right to ask for a carer’s
assessment, which can be a gateway to services and support.
The second is ensuring that assessments recognise carers’ own
needs as individuals, as regards work, education and leisure. This
has always been good professional practice but making it now a statutory
requirement should ensure a greater consistency of standards.
The third element is the formal involvement of other statutory agencies
in the planning and provision of services for carers. I believe that
this provision will have a great significance in the longer term,
to raise awareness that carers issues are not just a matter for the
Social Services but need to be embedded in the policies and practice
of a wide network of agencies.
4. As the Minster responsible for the Carers Strategy in Wales,
what three things would you like to see developed further in order
to support carers over the next few years?
A. I am advised by the Carers Strategy Review Panel on our Assembly
Government policies and priorities. This group represents a wide range
of interests including organisations representing carers, and carers
themselves.
Over the last four years or so the Panel has established carers issues
firmly on the Assembly’s policy agenda, and I very much looking
forward to working with them. I do not want to anticipate their advice
but the three key areas I would like to see addressed are:
i. More general recognition that while many carers are service users,
they are also a resource. Carers are part of the solution. This has
important implications for the way services are configured. While
the key priorities of the present strategy hold good I would like
to see the strategy refocused to reflect this.
ii. Part of this refocusing should involve the “carer-proofing”
of all relevant plans and strategies as they are developed. That is,
carers’ issues should not be regarded as an add-on to “main
stream” services but should become an integral part of the planning
process. I know that the Panel is working on this now.
iii. Better alignment of services with assessed needs. This has already
started through the development of local Health Social Care and Well
Being strategies and I am keen to see this process continue.
(This article was first published in Carers Wales’ Newsletter)
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