EAST YORKSHIRE : Building Carer Friendly Communities

Building carer friendly communities was the theme of a multi-agency event which has taken place in the East Riding to mark Carers Rights Day.

Organised by the East Riding Carers Support Service, the full-day event which was held at Driffield Showground, gave organisations from across the area the opportunity to come together to explore and discuss the support and services available to the estimated 40,000 carers in the East Riding.

Attendees, who included representatives from the health, social care and voluntary sectors, were also invited to make a pledge on the day, promising how their group or organisation plans to continue supporting carers into the future.

Coleen Ellis, East Riding Carers Support Service team manager, said:

“The aim of the event was to not only celebrate the work of carers across the East Riding but to also promote the building of carer friendly communities to ensure they are supported as much as possible throughout their caring roles.

“Being an unpaid carer, looking after a loved one around the clock, can completely change a person’s life so it is essential that carers receive the right support, help and advice when they need it the most.

“There were numerous organisations and sectors present at the event, from the local authority, statutory sector, and third sector who are all working together to promote carer rights and provide the right information at the right time to carers.”

The event was held in the run up to Carers Rights Day (25 November), an annual campaign from Carers UK which aims to bring organisations from across the UK together to help carers in their local communities know their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to.

The council’s director of corporate strategy and commissioning John Skidmore opened the event by paying tribute to the vital work which unpaid carers in the East Riding do and to those teams and groups who are working to support them in that role.

John said:

“Events like this are a fantastic way to bring everyone who is working to support carers, and those being cared for, together to explore what services and resources are currently available and how we can continue to work together, and build on that partnership working, to ensure that the carer remains at the heart of every decision made, support system put in place, and service provided.

“There was a real buzz around the room with so many people turning out to the event. I would like to thank everyone involved for what was a successful and incredibly beneficial day.”

The morning sessions featured a range of presentations from the council, East Riding Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), and East Riding Carer Advisory Group (CAG) who explored the current provision for carers and what the future may hold.

A series of workshops were held during the afternoon, while all attendees had the chance to browse a wide range of information stands throughout the afternoon.

To find out more about the East Riding Carers Support Service call freephone 0800 917 6844.