Gabrielle - The importance of information and advice
Gabrielle - Joint Carers and Engagement Lead
Working with carers has always been integral to the work I’ve done. When you’re working with young adults with both physical disabilities and learning disabilities you realise the lifetime commitment many carers take on, supporting through sickness and health, through times of change, often playing the role of a mum, dad, brother and sister, whilst being an advocate, a legal representative, an appointee, a mentor, a health and social care navigator, an entertainer and many other guises. It is no surprise that we consider carers to be experts in their field because they have to develop so many differing skills along the way.
Now working in a much broader role with carers it has really opened my eyes to the challenges carers face on a day to day basis. From carers who are looking after one another, carers who have found themselves caring suddenly, carers who have been on a lifelong journey and carers who are coping with loss. The common theme, is love, commitment and determination to make things work.
Carers not only contribute the best quality care, they are one of the greatest assets any society has and should be valued in equal measure. Many carers tell me simply the importance of good quality, concise information that is specific to their situation, something we sometimes overlook but in a world filled with plentiful information it can be very hard to find the right information at the right time.
We are lucky within Coventry that we work closely with the Carers' Trust Heart of England to make sure that carers support is there. Having a Carer's Assessment is a really good starting point to getting the right information, an opportunity to talk about your experiences with a practitioner who will help you understand your rights, the support out there and the next steps.
Raising the profile of carers is very important, we know that as the population grows, as people’s needs increase in complexity and services get stretched, carers are all too often the safety net of any community. It is important that their commitment does not go unnoticed and unappreciated. We are all likely to take on a caring role in our lifetime but many carers feel isolated and alone in their role, being more open, sharing experiences and good practice is the way forward.