The Joint Carers Strategy Refresh 2022-2025, dedicated to ‘recognising, valuing and supporting carers in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’ (LLR) has been approved by Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council.
The joint strategy has been developed by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, Rutland Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) across the LLR area. It involves all three councils working together around a shared vision to recognise, value and support carers across the region; helping them maintain excellent patient outcomes whilst supporting their own health and well-being.
New commitments have been made as part of the strategy refresh to introduce a Young Carer’s passport across the region, and to collaborate more effectively with health services to improve the consideration of carer needs on admission to hospital and upon discharge.
Other priorities include:
- Working with partners to introduce and raise awareness of new schemes such as the Carer’s Passport
- Encouraging wider support of carers amongst communities, giving them access to to local groups where they can socialise and relax
- Encouraging and supporting the use of technology to help them in their caring responsibilities
- Offering a broad range of information in varying formats to suit the user needs of all carers
- Encouraging people to self-identify as carers and get the support they need as quickly as possible
- Improving awareness of carers in schools and colleges of young carers whilst providing more support for them to access locally
Councillor Christine Radford, County Council Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities, said: “It’s important that we make carers visible so that we can support them and recognise both the challenges they face and the enormous contribution they make to families and communities. Our strategy – covering the city, county, and Rutland – is an important starting point for every organisation that comes into contact with carers. By adopting this strategy, we commit to recognising, supporting and valuing carers for the vital work they do.”