Issue - meetings

For the Committee to be informed of the BCP Carers Strategy (2022-2027) and to comment and question the strategy before considering whether to recommend it to Cabient.

The Commissioning Manager, Prevention and Wellbeing presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.  Councillor Fear joined the Committee for this item as the Lead Member for Wellbeing.

The BCP Carers Strategy (2022-2027) set out 5 key strategic priorities to support carers and recognised the valuable contribution they make to our community. At least 39,000 people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were carers and they played a vital role in sustaining our health and social care system by enabling the people they cared for to live safely in their own homes for longer. The strategy had been shaped by the views and experiences of local carers and aimed to support them to look after their own health and wellbeing, to enable them to stay in their caring roles and prevent, reduce, or delay the need for health and care services for the people they cared for.

The Committee discussed the report and comments were made, including:

·       The Chairman emphasised carers were often overlooked and not recognised for the work they did, and gratitude and thanks should be given

·       The Chairman also expressed concern about a financial implication of needing to increase the number of staff, which could have a negative impact in respite care for carers and the need to push Government to ensure respite care was not reduced

·       There was clarification given to the Committee why neither of the considered changes to the term carer of inserting ‘unpaid’ and ‘recognised’ before carer were used within the strategy.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee agree to support the recommendation to Cabinet to approve the BCP Carers Strategy, contained in Appendix 1 to the Report.