Agenda item

A Carers Services Review has been undertaken in collaboration with carers and key stakeholders. The findings will inform the new BCP Carers Strategy. This report provides the committee with an update on current progress.

The Commissioning Manager – Prevention and Wellbeing presented a report accompanied by a presentation, 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.

The report provided an update on how the findings from the Carers Service Review were being used to inform the new BCP Carers Strategy. The Commissioning Manager explained the background and context of the review and how this had been carried out. She presented an overview of the five key priorities which had been developed through engagement with carers and key stakeholders and explained the intended steps to implement them and the associated timescales.

Officers responded to questions and comments on a number of issues including:

• Response rates. 742 carers had responded to the survey. The five priorities had been discussed at various groups, with detailed comments received from 26 individual carers to date.
• How to ensure carers ‘take a break’. It was noted that carers had access to home-based support and there were flexible options to take breaks, away from the home environment if preferred, with the person cared for going into a care setting.
• A Committee member stressed the importance of carers being able to take shorter, more regular breaks to ensure respite while reducing the concern of having to leave a loved one for too long.
• How to raise awareness of what being a carer involves. A Committee member talked about his own experience as a carer and highlighted the value carers add to society and asked if there were any plans to educate employers and wider society. It was noted that in addition to supporting national campaigns the Council was working to promote the role of carers all year round. The Council was aiming to work with Carers UK on its employers programme to support businesses and there was also a carers discount card for local businesses.
• How to ensure equality of access across Dorset which was a large area with diverse needs. The Committee was assured that equality of access did not mean the same service for all regardless of need, it was about providing a similar response in terms of how someone was assessed and their support needs identified. It did not prevent BCP from responding locally to local needs.
• A Committee member highlighted the low level of neighbours as carers identified in the survey and the risk that some people may not class themselves as carers and could slip under the radar as a result.
• A Committee member suggested that skills and training should be available in ‘bite size’ sessions as many carers had time constraints.

Overall, Committee members were very positive about the approach being taken to recognise and value carers in the new strategy and thanked officers for their work. It was noted that this work would make a real difference to residents and that training and planning would serve to relieve some of the anxieties for carers.

As the report and presentation had been so comprehensive the Committee did not feel that a further informal engagement session was required.

RESOLVED that the Committee supports the five key priorities for the BCP Carers Strategy.