working with carers

Skills for Care and Skills for Health are working in partnership to strengthen health and social care workers understanding of the importance of carers in the delivery of health and social care.

Definition of a carer: A carer spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to family or potentially friends. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems'. Carers at the Heart of the 21st Century DH ,2008

what are we doing?

We have now developed a national learning/training framework with supporting resources to ensure that key workers receive training to better support carers

The framework is not an 'off the shelf' training package, but rather the tools that enable training to be commissioned or developed to reflect local workforce needs, local settings and context. It aims to be flexible enough to be delivered in a variety of ways to meet differing working and learning needs.

The common core principles of good practice, developed earlier in the project in consultation with carers, people working directly with carers, and interested parties across health, social care and other key sectors (final common core principles March 2010), are now embedded within the framework and supporting resources. These will also be used as a benchmarking tool for the evaluation of impact.

Over 60 pilot sites have volunteered to help shape the framework by using the resources to develop and deliver training in their area in order to ensure it is fit for purpose prior to the national launch.

pilot sites and their roles

help needed
We would like to see more organisations joining us from the East of England, South West and South East as early implementer pilot sites.

As early implementer pilot sites, you will get the opportunity to be the first to try out the resources following their amendments by the development sites. You will also help us to gather evidence about how the new resources and materials have made a difference to you, your staff and most importantly the lives and experiences of carers.

You can be part of a national piece of work and potentially become a case study or even feature in the guidance as examples of good practice and acknowledged for your support.

We are particularly keen to find private/commissioned providers wanting to join this group or those offering less traditional opportunities to try the resources out. Perhaps using the framework with the fire service, or pharmacy? There is some financial support offered to become involved. If you are interested please contact Diane.buddery@skillsforcare.org.uk

want to know more?
We have a virtual stakeholder group for this project that is open to anyone who wishes to contribute or simply keep up to date with the progress of this piece of work. If you would like to join please contact: carersstrategy@skillsforcare.org.uk

You may wish to visit our partner Skills for Health's website - www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/carers

To view the latest briefing on our work with carers please click on the link below:
June 2010 carers briefing