Issue 8

Improving support for unpaid carers

An ongoing Quality Improvement project is aiming to help NSFT employees who are also unpaid cares. Cath Pickles, People Participation Lead for the Education and Development team, held the first Trust Carer Network meeting on Teams in July. Employees who attended all recognise themselves as non-paid family carers, outside of their current employment status with NSFT. They come from across many different service lines and are supporting people of all ages. The project is called Employee Carers Quality Improvement Project. Cath said: “Our staff who are unpaid carers play such an important role and make a massive difference every single day, so it is vital to look after them and offer support where we can.” One employee carer said: “It was certainly an eye-opener for me. I had felt very much alone but now recognise there are so many of us working in the Trust.” Support worker Karen Winram (Dragonfly Unit) and Louise Diss, a mental health practitioner with Crisis Team East, agreed to jointly chair meetings and lead on the quality improvement aspect of the project. The QI Project is now fully up and running with a number of areas currently under development: • Carer Survey • Care Passport • Carer Leave • Flexible working policy • Support for employees, considering the Manchester project • Carer charter • National NHS initiative Cath added: “We are hoping to reach out to as many employees across NSFT who themselves are in a caring role. Many staff have had the opportunity to relate their own lived experience of been carers, while being employees, with experiences being mixed and varied degrees of support from managers. Cath said: “Where managers have some lived experience themselves, they are more able to recognise the needs of staff who support family and friends.”

 

Thank you sent to two NSFT carers leads

It really has been a difficult year for everyone. Thank you for your contribution to Carers’ Rights Day, which had lots of useful information and your input was very helpful. It was nice to see you (virtually). It is encouraging to know that the Trust is acknowledging the importance of carers. Thank you both for your continued efforts to support carers in what I know may often be difficult circumstances. As for the Trust itself, it will hopefully understand that providing service users with the highest standard of care possible is the greatest wish of the majority of carers – to know that the person they care for is well-supported and that there is consistency and good communication. Thank you for the role you both play in trying to make this happen! Christine (Carer) Norwich Area

 

Carers and the recovery journey

A new Recovery College course for carers will be starting early in 2021. The course supports the vital role carers play in people’s recovery journey and will be delivered via Zoom in four separate sessions. It covers topics such as what recovery means for all, explores the Triangle of Care, considers dilemmas we can face when sharing and receiving information, different supporting styles and how we can keep ourselves well while supporting family members and friends. It is available online from February. Contact the Recovery College for next years timetable or further information.

Zoom in to Friday

Join the NSFT Carer’s virtual coffee morning every Friday Make yourself a cuppa and have an informal chat with other carers, 10.30am-12pm. We want you to know that you are valued, appreciated and supported during these difficult times. Meeting ID: 860 6791 0795 Meeting Password: 4t4nSx Click here to join

Talk to us

Do you have something that you would like us to include in the Carers Newsletter ? • Feedback • A resource that you have found helpful • A photo • A message that you would like to share with other carers Please send your submissions to Pip Everett. Email pip.everett@nsft.nhs.uk

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