Item 14 - Supporting Unpaid Carers
North Lanarkshire Council · 30 November 2022
Back to Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board — 30 November 2022 and its agenda
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1 REPORT Item No: 14 SUBJECT: Supporting Unpaid Carers TO: Integration Joint Board Lead Officer for Report: Morag Dendy, Head of Planning Performance and Quality Assurance Author(s) of Report Maria Williamson, Senior Manager Quality Assurance DATE: 30th November 2022 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1. This paper is coming to the IJB for: For approval For endorsement To note 1.2. This report is intended to provide an update the support in place for unpaid Carers across our communities and to seek endorsement of our approach to ensure continuation of support. 1.3. We recognise that unpaid Carers of all ages play a vital role in the lives of the people they care for and the Council is committed to supporting Carers to ensure they can continue to provide that care for as long as they wish. 1.4. As previously reported, services were commissioned in March 2019, to undertake the following functions: Direct support for adult Carers: Lanarkshire Carers Carer’s campaigning, information and representation services: North Lanarkshire Carers Together Young Carers Support Services: Action for Children Young Carers Service Community Solutions Programme: Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire
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2 1.5. Support delivered via these commissioned services has enabled us to meet the requirements of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. By utilising the allocated ring-fenced funding via Scottish Government to support the implementation of the Act, several initiatives (reported through Committee Nov 2021) were developed to provide additional support to meet some of the priorities set out in the act. 1.6. Our approach to supporting unpaid Carers is closely aligned with our Self- directed Support transformational programme, details on which are contained on a separate report. 2. ROUTE TO THE BOARD Prepared Reviewed Endorsed This paper has been: Prepared with the range of key partners in North Lanarkshire ensuring that services and supports for unpaid carers are effective and responsive, and reviewed by senior management. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1. The IJB committee is asked to: a) The content of the Report is noted b) Our approach to supporting unpaid Carers is endorsed. c) Note the request to extend service contracts is endorsed to ensure a continuation of support is available for unpaid Carers. 4. VARIATIONS TO DIRECTIONS? Yes No N/A
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3 5. BACKGROUND/SUMMARY OF KEY ISSUES 5.1. The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 came into force on 1st April 2018. The Act was built upon existing legal rights for Adult Carers and Young Carers in Scotland as well as introducing new rights. The aim of the Act was to support Carers through offering a personalised approach to any support required in their caring role and to try to minimise the risk of future crisis, both for the Carer and Cared for person. 5.2 Our Strategy for Adult Carers and Young Carers (2019-2024) cites the last Census completed in Scotland from 2011. This highlighted that approximately 10% of North Lanarkshire’s population identified as being in a caring role and early indications are that this number is set to rise when the most recent census information is published. It should be noted that not all Carers are known to services. 5.3 The impact of the pandemic and the ongoing challenges across health and social care has added significant extra pressure to Carers and families. 5.4 Our commissioned Carer Support Organisations were awarded contracts in March 2019, on a 4+2+1 basis and are now nearing the end of the original contract period. 5.5 The Carer Breather pilot over a period of 18 months is due to end in March 23. Early feedback on the success of the pilot has been very positive, particularly from those who were able to have a break together and for those providing care but who did not necessarily wish to identify with a carer’s organisation. 5.6 We participated in the national Care Inspectorate Inquiry into Carers experiences of adult social work and social care. North Lanarkshire were one of the 5 Health & Social Care Partnership areas participating in a more in-depth inquiry. The Inquiry has now been completed and we await feedback on the outcome. 5.7 Carer support is a key factor in our SDS transformational programme, looking at a whole system approach. Details of the SDS transformational programme are contained within a separate report. 6 Report 6.1 There are three (3) commissioned organisations supporting Carers. To compliment these services, regular and locally based support has been achieved by enhancing and extending Support for Carers, utilising the allocation of ring-fenced funding via Scottish Government to further support the implementation of the Carers (2016) Act. 6.2 At the time of procuring the commissioned services, awards were made with the option to extend based on the original contract terms & conditions. Our intention is to exercise the option to extend these contracts a further 2 years, based on performance, efficacy, and success to date. 6.3 The cost to extend the contract period for all services will be met from recurring ring-fenced funding form Scottish Government and is detailed below:
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4 Provision Provider CURREN T 22/23 Budget 23/24 Budget 24/25 Budget Adult Carer Support Plans Lanarkshire Carers Centre £616,097 £646,90 2 £679,24 8 Young Carers Statements Action for Children £418,481 £439,40 5 £461,37 5 Information & Advice Service North Lanarkshire Carers Together £255,739 £268,52 5 £281,95 2 6.5 Over the past year enhanced support for Carers has been made available through a range of initiatives utilising unallocated ring-fenced funding from the Scottish Government. These initiatives included Carer Breather, the Hospital Support Programme and Short Breaks. Our robust partnership approach with commissioned and community-based services, provides assurance that Carers know how and where to access support. 6.6 The Carers (Scotland) Act 2018 highlights that unpaid Carers should be involved in hospital discharge planning. A development aimed at supporting unpaid Carers in hospital discharge planning is already in place and will be operational until September 2024. 6.7 Imminent amendments to the Carers Act will include a legal right for unpaid Carers to have a break from caring. Expansion of Carer Breather and funding for flexible Short Breaks will ultimately assist in meeting legal responsibilities in a cost effective, sustainable and carer valued and informed way. 6.8 The Carer Breather programme is supported by NLCT within Community Solutions, with initiatives developed directly through listening to the views of Carers. Short Breaks support is managed by Lanarkshire Carers. Having this provision in place has helped reduce carer stress and burn out and mitigated against escalation of carer needs. Engagement and participation activity has demonstrated the success of the current programme, as well as highlighting a greater need and demand for this option – as a valued approach to flexible breaks from caring. 6.9 The intention is it continue to support flexible Short Breaks and expand the Carer Breather programme beyond March 23, by offering additional investment to provide Carer support – both geographical and thematic. The additional funding required will come from specific ring-fenced Carer support monies. The proposed operational timescale will fit with the planned extension to our commissioned services contracts. 6.10 The cost to continue and expand this provision will be met from recurring ring- fenced funding from Scottish Government and is detailed below: Provision 2023/24 2024/25 Total Short Breaks £200,000 £200,000 £400,000
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5 Carer Breather £300,000 £300,000 £600,000 6.11 Carer Breather will continue to utilise the Carer Pathway Toolkit to engage Carers in conversation as part of a light touch early intervention within the local community. 6.12 Our current Carer Strategy runs until 2024. To prepare for reviewing our strategy and implementing any learning from the Care Inspectorate Carers Inquiry, we will refresh the role and function of our Carer Strategy Implementation Group. Members will play a valuable role in our ongoing partnership approach to supporting unpaid Carers. 6.12 The Carers Policy Team are currently developing a National Carers Strategy, which will articulate the Scottish Government’s overall ambitions for unpaid carers and for carer support. The publication of this strategy, the learning from the Care Inspectorate Carer Inquiry and the publication of the Scottish Census information will all inform the refresh of North Lanarkshire’s Carer Strategy. 6.13 A breakdown on how the 2023-2025 funding has been allocated is detailed below: Carer Support Allocation 2023-2024 2024-2025 Provision of Adult Carer Support Plans - commissioned service, which also includes adult carer support £ 646,902 £ 679,248 Provision of Young Carer Statements - commissioned service, which also includes young carer support £ 439,405 £ 461,375 Information and Advice – commissioned service, which also includes Carers Advocacy £ 268,525 £ 81,952 Duty to support adult carers – includes Carer Breather; Community Solutions; SDS including Carer Budgets £ 650,000 £ 800,000 Duty to support young carers – includes PAMIS (provides support to families); SDS including Carer Budgets £ 50,000 £ 50,000 Additional short breaks support £ 200,000 £ 200,000 Local Carer strategies £ 100,000 £ 100,000 Other - Hospital Support £ 145,246 £ 145,246 Unallocated Budget £ 1,032,017 TOTAL £ 3,532,095 £ 2,717,821
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6 6.14 From the expected 2023/24 ring-fenced funding from Scottish Government, the total unallocated £1,032,017 will be utilised to implement any recommendations from the reports (noted at 2.10 above) once published. This approach will ensure that we remain responsive to the needs of Carers across our communities, enabling them to maintain their caring role while leading a full life. 7. IMPLICATIONS 7. NATIONAL OUTCOMES 7.1. The support to unpaid carers impacts on all of the national outcomes. 7.2 ASSOCIATED MEASURE(S) 7.3 FINANCIAL This paper has been reviewed by Finance: Yes No N/A 7.4 RISK ASSESSMENT/RISK MANAGEMENT 7.5 PEOPLE 7.6 INEQUALITIES & FAIRER SCOTLAND DUTY EQIA Completed & Fairer Scotland Impact Assessment Form Completed: Yes No N/A 8. BACKGROUND PAPERS None.
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7 9. APPENDICES Appendix 1 Action for Children, North Lanarkshire Young Carers – Update Oct 22 Appendix 2 Getting Better Together- Carer Support Activity Report Appendix 3 Getting Better Together –Hospital Discharge Support Programme (HDSP) Appendix 4 Lanarkshire Carers Annual Report 21 /22 Appendix 5 Update from Lanarkshire Carers for North Lanarkshire Committee Paper - October 2022 Appendix 6 North Lanarkshire Carers Together (NLCT) – Update Report Oct 22 CHIEF ACCOUNTABLE OFFICER (or Depute) Members seeking further information about any aspect of this report, please contact Morag Dendy on telephone number 07939284732.
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8 Appendix 1 Action for Children, North Lanarkshire Young Carers – Update Oct 22 NLYC will finally move to the new premises (Enterprise House) in November 2022 after several delays. The new facilities will enhance carer involvement with a new Podcast Suite for young carers as well as a facility for training, educational support, and 1:1 counselling. Enterprise house is a modern, secure and energy efficient building with recently upgraded networking and IT facilities. The new building will also feature a new VR facility for young carers to use for Groupwork and training purposes. (Fire and rescue \ first aid \ medication management and safe lifting & handling.) Upgraded kitchen facilities will allow the service to support young carers to learn new skills in cooking, food preparation and Nutrition. The service has been fully operational since mid – 2021 with a small Covid disruption in Late December 2021. Groupwork supports and individual 1:1 supports have continued since this time. In line with the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 the service has continued to prioritise identification and support of young carers within North Lanarkshire, including the offering of a Young Carers Statement and review where applicable. A major part of our work has been the continued delivery of a large number of carers led short breaks and residential breaks. Young Carers choose to go to Aberdeen, England, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Ayrshire, as well as attendance at the 2021 Young Carers Festival in Fife. In addition, our young carers have enjoyed a number of concerts, plays and musicals both in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cumbernauld. Our ability to provide these breaks has been supported by successful applications to funders and also the Lanarkshire Carers Short Breaks Bureau who remain a vital partner and source of support to the service. Through additional funding and support from Action for Children we managed to replace three of our old vehicles with newer, more efficient, models. Supporting Mental Health and well-being remains vital, and the service has continued its successful initiative with counselling services who provided vital emotional supports to a number of young carers. In addition, we have continued our Blues training initiative, and provided training for carers through our partnership with Landed. In addition, we worked with and number of other partners including Reel- time studios, New College Lanarkshire, Lanarkshire Carers and Columba 1400. We also provided a number of specialised ‘sibling’ short breaks with the ‘Over the Wall’ organisation. Our partnership with Motherwell FC community trust remains extremely important and beneficial to our young carers. Recently we held our first ‘post covid’ ‘Fire-reach’ training initiative with Scottish Fire and Rescue in Coatbridge.
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9 Raising awareness of young carers existence remains another major piece of our work, and we have developed a whole new suite of traditional and digital materials which are all QR linked to our updated website. The website provides a wealth of information on what we do, supports available for all carers and also a dedicated referral page. We have had a number of features in the papers, including the Scotsman, Daily Record and also on STV. This has been made possible through support from Action for Children’s media and fundraising teams. We have continued with our Facebook page also. Partner support remains vital to the service, and we celebrated a number of important partnerships with third sector supports and also Education, NHS \ CAMHS, social work, third sector and a number of charity foundations. NLYC continues its partnership with High schools in North Lanarkshire with awareness raising presentations, drop ins and attendance at school events. We are currently piloting a primary school awareness initiative in Bellshill. Ian Sloan Locality Services Manager Action For Children
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10 Appendix 2 Getting Better Together Carer Breather Fund CARER SUPPORT ACTIVITY REPORT In Dec 2021 funding was granted to conduct a localised test of change with regards to the wider introduction of a sitter service in the locality. The Sitting Service has been able to provide peace of mind to carers with a volunteer visiting the home to keep the cared for company while the carer is able to have a break from their caring role. The sitting service is not able to provide domiciliary care but can provide company to those who do not like to be on their own while the carer tends to their own health and/or social needs, allowing for a meaningful scheduled break where plans can made. Having the opportunity of a break is welcomed but for some isolated carers this can present other barriers, such as anxieties about reengaging with the community. The Carer Breather funding has allowed us to develop a Carer Connector post, who can support carers to identify and access other supports in their community. This additional capacity allows a staff member to work one to one with carers supporting them to identify and access activities and supports in their own community. This could be training, volunteering, leisure activities, hobbies etc. As a Healthy Living Centre, we already have a varied activity programme, be we understand that carers who have been isolated for long periods of time can feel anxious. Our Carer Connector can accompany them to offer support and help them to settle in. Opportunities range from physical activities such as guided walks or exercise classes to general social activities. Although all the above can decrease isolation and loneliness, we hope that our carer connector can also provide a preventative service. We have over 30 staff members and many visitors we have into our centre daily, spanning all age groups. A carer can often be in plain sight but has not recognised their role themselves. Our carer connector is visible within the organisation and centre and can identify hidden carers and offer information, advice and signposting if needed. As a Healthy Living Centre, we can identify and offer additional light touch supports that may benefit the carer and the cared for. We have a wide-ranging programme of activities that we can tap into, especially for those carers who have been isolated for long periods of time and unsure of how to move forward. Caring Matters is a peer support group we facilitate to support unpaid carers. The group allows the carer, and cared for, the opportunity for socialisation and time to talk to others in the same situation in a safe supportive environment. Our members can chat and enjoy a light breakfast followed by easy chair exercises. We also provide relaxing raki treatment to reduce any feelings of stress. We have now partnered with North Lanarkshire Council who are delivering meditation music sessions where our members can relax by listening via headphones as they are guided through a
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11 meditation session. We also provided transport to and from these groups, which is vital for carers, or cared for, with mobility issues. April 2022 – Sept 2022 48 Individual Carers Supported 81 Hours Sitter Service provided 18 Carers supported to access or increase benefit income
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12 Appendix 3 Getting Better Together Hospital Discharge Support Programme (HDSP) CARER SUPPORT ACTIVITY REPORT Report activity period: October 21 to September 22 Following on from a discharge to assess test of change with D2A, the service successfully secured additional D2A funding in September 21. This additional funding increased the capacity of the service to meet the increased need for supporting unpaid carers of North Lanarkshire patients age 16+ across Lanarkshire’s NHS sites. To meet this need, the service recruited new additional community liaison officers during the last quarter of 2021. HDSP now has four full-time liaison officers whose main bases are University Hospitals Monklands and Wishaw. Although these sites are our main bases, the carers of North Lanarkshire patients at University Hospital Hairmyres and other NHS sites are visited or contacted when a referral is received. This expansion to four liaison officers increases the service capacity to: Provide information to more unpaid carers about their rights and potential supports available to them. Directly refer into local carer support organisations as well as wider community supports. Expand direct practical and direct support provision to both carers and cared for. Provide more indirect support to carers by arranging supports for more patients which promote carer breaks and help make caring role more manageable (anticipated low level carer support). Liaise with Health and Social care professionals on behalf of carers when required. Provide emotional/listening ear support to carers when appropriate. Raise awareness of carers rights with our Health and Social Care colleagues and teams. Shortly after receiving D2A additional funding, D2A was replaced with new programmes within the acute sites, namely Home First and Home Assessment Teams. These have the same ethos as D2A and HDSP offered it’s support to carers engaged within these programmes. Areas of focus for HDSP with carers has been: Increasing engagement with both carers and professionals. Early discharge planning and support intervention. Reducing admissions by providing quick response supports to carers/cared for. The service continues to be very flexible in its engagement with carers. Although referrals are made to HDSP by our health & social care teams and community and voluntary sector partners, carers are welcome to self-refer. Our liaison officers meet with carers both within wards and during home visits to provide tailored information,
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13 advice and practical support. During the past year, the service received 202 enquiries in which direct contact was made with carers by the team. Following our personal outcome conversations with carers, information about available supports is provided and the service provided 127 carers with information about their rights and the support available to them. This signposting information was provided to carers either in our discharge information packs or by post or email. If consent is granted, onward referrals are made to local carer support organisations such as North Lanarkshire Carer Together, Lanarkshire Carers and North Lanarkshire Young Carers. This promotes access to the wide range of service available to carers from North Lanarkshire’s carer support organisations including Creative Breaks and access to Adult Carers Support Plans and Young Carer Statements. These are anticipated to promote carers health and wellbeing and the right to a life outside of caring. 108 carers responded that they feel more aware of supports available to them following input from the service. In addition to this, information and onward referrals are also made on behalf of carers to a wide range of other supports such as Carer Breather supports which HDSP was a panel member via our membership of the Carers Network. Information provided to carers covers areas such as Local Authority services (such as Social Work, Leisure and Culture) and health promotion literature. Social opportunities. Leisure and physical activities. Future planning. Support to self-manage specific health conditions. Welfare rights. Provide meaningful feedback on the services received and how to become involved in shaping future services. The service submitted 133 direct referrals on behalf of carers to both carer support organisations and wider community, voluntary and statutory supports during the past year. By working in tandem with both carers and patients, the service also indirectly supports carers by either arranging community supports on behalf of patients or by providing practical supports directly to patients. HDSP assisted 406 patients which resulted in 194 direct referrals or supports being made. Many of these indirectly support carers in a wide variety of ways whether this be reducing carers need to provide transport to appointments, requesting community alerts to provide more peace of mind or a social activity that provides a regular break for carers. HDSP also provides an important point of contact for Health and Social Care professionals looking for information and advice regarding support for unpaid carers. The service highlights available carer support and carers rights to colleagues when enquiries are received. Support available to carers and carers rights are also
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14 highlighted by HDSP during awareness raising sessions with teams including hospital social work, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy amongst others. During the past year, HDSP has been involved in numerous awareness raising meetings with newly qualified social workers to highlight carer support and EPIC principles. Other awareness raising sessions include presenting to the Monklands Physiotherapy team. HDSP’s Wishaw team recently distributed carer information to NHS staff during a recent stall, recognising that many of our acute colleagues have unpaid caring roles also. Community based stalls have also now resumed as we learn to live with Covid and HDSP have provided carer information at these also. Expanding our range of practical support provision has been a priority for HDSP during the past year. The service expanded home visits so these can be completed pre discharge, on day of discharge and post discharge. Our pre discharge home visits align closely with the early discharge planning though DWD with which the service has been actively supporting. The range of hands-on practical supports that can be provided expanded to include: • Collecting essential items from home and bring to ward. • Move furniture to accommodate equipment (if possible). • Complete a common-sense assessment of any potential issues and feedback to hospital. • Check heating/utilities are working and assist with gas/electricity top up. • Ensure essential groceries are in place when required. Clear fridges. • Test community alert. These supports are offered to both carers and patients when need is identified. These supports benefit carers in several situations such as when the carer had difficulties due to their own health and mobility or alternatively when the carer lives some distance away or has other responsibilities that make it difficult to take on these tasks. The service has expanded these supports to include a settling in service for the cared for on the day of discharge. This involves HDSP meeting recently discharged patients at their home at the point of discharge, making sure they are comfortable, preparing a light snack and spending a few hours at this initial stage to make sure all is well. To facilitate our settling in service, HDSP attended food hygiene and safer handling training to ensure that we can safely meet recently discharged patients at their home and provide this assistance. Again, this settling in service at point of discharge benefits carers who have difficulty being with their loved one, friend or neighbour at the point of discharge and provides reassurance. In addition to these practical supports, the service provides other direct supports to carers. These are wide ranging, from completing application forms for carers, assisting with making arrangements for cleaning services or for equipment but crucially can include obtaining information and clarifying issues on behalf of carers and raising carer concerns with Health and Social care teams. This communication role supports the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 – Section 28 regarding keeping carer informed and taking on board carers views. The need to liaise with other
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15 professionals on carers behalf in a low-level advocacy role is particularly beneficial in complex discharges at reducing carer stress quickly and preventing need for formal advocacy. In the period covered by this report, the service provided 42 carers with practical or direct supports. Making the discharge process clear and manageable for carers is a key outcome for carers and our service. 97 carers responded that following the input from the service, the discharge process was made more manageable. HDSP was actively involved throughout the Planned Date of Discharge (PDoD) engagement group. This helped identify a need for a NHS Lanarkshire discharge policy which stated that carers should be informed, involved, and supported in discharge planning. HDSP also conducted carer surveys to obtain carer feedback on their discharge experiences as part of PDoD. HDSP’s input has continued in this area as PDoD evolved into a nationwide programme Discharge Without Delay (DwD). HDSP are currently members of: DwD steering group. Pan-Lanarkshire Discharge Survey group Discharge Passport Group. In each of these, HDSP along with partners are promoting carer engagement during early discharge planning, so carers feel more informed, included, and aware of where to access support. HDSP has also participated in the recent DwD learning webinars, highlighting how the 3rd sector can help support discharge for carers. This has also included a presentation at both the national discharge without delay webinar and the Lothian webinar event showcasing what the 3rd sector currently does to support carers within North Lanarkshire. This is ongoing with HDSP being invited to highlight 3rd sector discharge support with Glasgow and Greater Clyde in October. Out with DwD, HDSP are currently also involved in a Medicine Management and Discharge group to help identify carer issues with medication at the point of discharge. Although at an early stage, the service is currently obtaining carer issues in this area and will be involved obtaining direct feedback from carers on their experiences of assisting with medication when a survey is ready. Aim being to improve carer experiences in this area. Alongside earlier discharge planning, HDSP has also been working alongside the Home Assessment Teams (HAT) to prevent and reduce admissions. HDSP receive referrals from HAT for people who are either presenting emergency departments or are in the community but at risk from being admitted. This involves quick response from HDSP to provide support which can include supporting carers in tandem with patient. Like our pre discharge visits for inpatients, HDSP can visit people we assist in their homes to provide support either independently or as part of a join visit with our Health and Social care colleagues. The service is keen to strengthen our partnership working with our colleagues to assist both unpaid carers and our colleagues as we approach the winter pressures within the acute sites.
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17 Appendix 4
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18 Annual Report 2021-2022 A Caring Culture
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19 Introduction Barbara McAuley Chief Executive Officer Samar Sheikh Chairperson GOVERNANCE
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20 Lanarkshire Carers works with and for carers to develop and deliver services that make a positive difference to their lives. This vision has provided the foundations for our organisation for many years and remains the purpose of our work. The past two years have seen unprecedented change in all aspects of our lives, with many of these changes affecting our working lives. Doing things differently is a recurring theme. Lanarkshire Carers is a pioneering organisation, using every challenge to adapt, learn and develop. We know that trusted relationships lead to effective carer support. We have taken care of our staff, helping them to look after themselves and making sure they have the skills, confidence and resources needed to support carers throughout an extremely demanding period. Daily feedback from carers, about their experiences and the difference our services make, gives our work meaning. It inspires and motivates everyone involved at Lanarkshire Carers. We recognise and value the contribution of carers, everything they do and the impact that caring has. This annual report begins with a thank you to every carer in every community in Lanarkshire. Carers are crucial to the wellbeing of others and many more people have taken on caring roles for family and friends. Caring for someone can have far reaching effects, meaning access to the right support at the right time is important and necessary. Lanarkshire Carers mission is to ensure that carers in Lanarkshire are identified, engaged, well informed, involved, supported and empowered. The Carers Act (Scotland) 2016 extends and enhances the rights of carers. Beginning a conversation at the earliest opportunity helps carers to feel informed, prepared and supported. Lanarkshire Carers is a value-based organisation; our values guide our behaviour and conduct, which are reflected in everything we do. This annual report, for the period April 2021 to March 2022, provides an overview of activities, how we have developed and innovated and the results we have achieved. 2
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21 Governance Lanarkshire Carers is run by carers for carers. The Board of Directors have met throughout the year to oversee the work of the organisation; providing strategic direction and ensuring their legal responsibilities and duties are met. Our new membership structure helps to identify those members who want to support the board with their governance role. Lanarkshire Carers recognises that carers are experts by experience and that they are equal partners who need to be at the heart of our work and involved at every stage. We aim to ensure that carers are able to contribute to all parts of the organisation, to help shape responsive services. Our new membership structure supports new approaches and meaningful carer involvement and participation. We recognise the changing needs and dynamics of caring and a membership level, between full and/or affiliate, can be changed at any time. Engaging with full members is a priority for the Board of Directors. Strategic Framework Lanarkshire Carers published our Strategic Framework in August 2021. ‘Celebrating 25 Years in Lanarkshire’ sets out our journey route, plans and work streams to 2025. Actions for each work stream and how our progress will be measured are detailed in relation to: Plans, Provision, Practice, Partnership, People and Performance. 3 1,766 New carers in contact with Lanarkshire Carers (854 North Lanarkshire, 912 South Lanarkshire) 11,308 Carers known to Lanarkshire Carers (5,863 North Lanarkshire, 5,445 South Lanarkshire) 6,507 Carers accessing our services (3,167 North Lanarkshire, 3,340 South Lanarkshire) 45,545 Services accessed by carers (23,282 North Lanarkshire, 22,263 South Lanarkshire) GOVERNANCE 2,089 Lanarkshire Carers Members (up to 31 Mar 2022) (190 Full Members, 1,899 Affiliate Members)
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4 We have ambitious plans The numbers of people caring is increasing and more of them are contacting Lanarkshire Carers for support. We are preparing for the future, building capacity and growing our organisation in response to this. Recovering from COVID-19 and responding to the long-term implication for carers will remain central to our work. The emerging cost of living crisis and the impact this is having on carers presents new challenges. Our emergency and flexible support funds for carers helps with our response to this. The willingness of our staff team to embrace and contribute to change has been crucial, particularly over this reporting year. Returning to working together as a staff team and seeing carers in person has been a priority in our planning for this year. Staff described our work over the past year as: We moved our premises in South Lanarkshire, staying within the Princes Gate facility but moving to a larger unit. This has created space to develop the carers areas needed and also to provide our staff team with suitable accommodation to return to working from the office. We have equipment, technology and resources that support the delivery of our hybrid service delivery model and the flexibility this offers has further enhanced our accessibility. It has been great to bring staff back together and to start seeing carers in person again. Our premises in North Lanarkshire are in the final stages of refurbishment and we are looking forward to returning, again with better spaces for carers and staff. PLANS
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5 We identified the need for specialised and targeted support for LGBT+ carers and secured funding from Carers Trust, Making Carers Count, for a project to research LGBT+ awareness and identify challenges faced by LGBT+ carers in Lanarkshire. We want to understand the barriers experienced in relation to accessing local and national information and services. This project will inform organisational change and enhance inclusive and proactive service provision. The collaborative focus of this work will ensure our partners will also benefit from an increased recognition, understanding and ability to support carers from under-represented groups. The Scottish Government provided an additional winter support funding package for carers in January 2022. This funding was to be managed locally through Lanarkshire Carers Short Break Bureau and enabled the delivery of a range of additional support for carers. Planning and delivery of this work was a huge undertaking for the organisation within tight timescales and we are extremely proud of our response. We published a separate impact report of this work and have participated in national research to measure success and inform future practice. This year we have reviewed our approach to group work activities. The research has highlighted the changes in approach needed to effectively meet the needs of carers, and how best to make use of our resources to benefit the most carers possible. Our website has a new look and functionality, making it easier to navigate. Our social media platforms support extensive engagement and connections. Across the organisation digital development is helping to streamline our practice and processes. Communication systems enhance agile working and make it easier to handle the large volume of calls we receive. Video conferencing equipment has supported a hybrid approach. A grant management system has made it possible to administer substantially increased and varied grant funding for carers, with due diligence and speed. Our recording and reporting systems support all aspects of our work and planning. PLANS
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6 Information, advice and support for people who care Lanarkshire Carers delivers direct and dedicated information, advice and support for people who care. Early and preventative support and a wide range of flexible service delivery methods, underpinned by our journey route model, offers choice and control for carers to access the right support at the right time. Lanarkshire Carers provides individual emotional and practical support, group work activities, adult carer support plans, emergency and future planning, a carer training programme, a short breaks bureau, grant funding, a carer wellbeing call service, carer card scheme, legal clinics, counselling, bereavement, negotiation and representation support and signposting/referral to other agencies. All our services are provided at no cost to carers across Lanarkshire. Not all carers require or choose to access all of our services, choosing to opt for those that best meet their needs and circumstances at any given time. “You helped me when no one else would. You were patient, kind and super helpful" "It’s an excellent resource that I didn’t even know was available. It is a support that I know I can access when required. But most importantly I do not feel alone“ “I have never accessed any support before and called yesterday, spoke with a Carer Support Worker and when I came off the phone, I felt so good, as if a huge weight has been lifted" 32,435 Unique visits to Lanarkshire Carers website 3,244 Carers signposted. referred or informed about the role of partner organisations (1,575 North Lanarkshire, 1,669 South Lanarkshire) 625 Carers attended one or more training courses (327 North Lanarkshire, 298 South Lanarkshire) "I phoned in a terrible state. The Carer Support Worker I spoke to made such a difference by listening to me and encouraging me to apply for a break. 3 weeks later I feel so much better and have been awarded the break and can’t wait to get away. They will never understand how much they saved me that night on the phone. Thank you for making me see I’m important too. This had allowed me to feel better and also continue my role as a carer“ “I was blown away by your kindness today. I really appreciate it. I didn't expect that. I am looking forward to the yoga and mindfulness. Sounds great” PROVISION
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7 Our generic services are complemented through a targeted approach towards the needs of specific groups such as young adult carers and seldom heard/isolated carers. We raise awareness of and respond to communication, capacity, cultural and language barriers and/or reluctance to engage with services that inhibits identification, self-identification and service uptake.. Lanarkshire Carers Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Carer Support and Equalities Service is a well- established service and is one of very few BAME dedicated services in Scotland. It is recognised nationally for good practice. Our multilingual BAME staff work across Lanarkshire to identify, engage, inform, advise and support carers. Information is available in community languages including Urdu, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, large print and Braille. This work has been highlighted as best practice and is part of Carers Trust Inclusive Communication Guide. Our refreshed website has access to many online services, information and forms and the recently installed software Reachdeck ensures this is available in any language required. 299 Young Adult Carers known to Lanarkshire Carers (166 North Lanarkshire, 133 South Lanarkshire) 69 New carers from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) communities (45 North Lanarkshire, 24 South Lanarkshire) 555 BAME carers known to Lanarkshire Carers (345 North Lanarkshire, 210 South Lanarkshire) 2,153 Carer Card holders (1,100 North Lanarkshire, 1,053 South Lanarkshire) “When you care for your loved one you forget to look after yourself. The support I have received has been fantastic. Thank you for the incredible mindfulness and relaxation sessions. I have truly managed to relax” PROVISION
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Identified, Engaged, Involved, Informed, Supported, and Empowered Staff consistently report that the support that often has the most significant impact on carers starts through contact established with someone who is able to listen. The trust and confidence carers have in the skilled and experienced staff at Lanarkshire Carers is evident and we are often their only form of support. Spending time building a valued relationship early on is key to the good conversations that lead to positive outcomes. Lanarkshire Carers personal outcome-based approach, resources and conversation toolkit were developed with carers for carers. This enables carers to explore various aspects of their lives and focus on what matters to them. Conversations centre around seven wellbeing areas: Lanarkshire Carers has also developed CarerSpace: an online portal that can be accessed at any time by carers to start or continue their conversation with us about their caring role and support needs. Carers can use CarerSpace to note outcomes they have identified themselves or through conversations with families, friends or other supportive helpers They can also access a copy of their Adult Carer Support Plan via the portal once the conversation has progressed to a point where this can be shared. Responsibility lies with the Local Authority to offer and produce Adult Carer Support Plans (ACSP), however both North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care partnerships have commissioned Lanarkshire Carers to deliver
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8 direct support services for carers. Part of this commissioned service is to deliver Adult Carer Support Plans for carers, working in partnership with social work depending on the support needs identified. 8 PRACTICE
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9 Our service delivery model and practice considers all aspects of life in order to understand what is important to each carer and to agree personal outcomes. Carers are encouraged and helped to reflect on what they can do themselves, what support might come from other community and family resources and how the services we offer might help. We work collaboratively with partners from all sectors and signpost/refer carers to other providers and community organisations. Lanarkshire Carers services include direct early and preventative practical and emotional support, utilising a wide range of flexible delivery methods. We offer choice and control for carers to access the right support at the right time to enable them to continue care, to have a life alongside caring and maintain their own health and wellbeing. Lanarkshire Carers personal outcomes toolkit is useful for talking to carers about their support needs, any personal outcomes they want to achieve and how they could achieve these. The responses provided by the carer can be used to progress their conversation with us. Carers have access to individual support and ongoing contact to develop an Adult Carer Support Plan that details a personalised, outcome-based support package. De-escalation and risk management outcomes are always a key priority and when the need is greatest we work collaboratively with social work to establish an effective plan. Our co-location helps build the professional relationships that make a positive difference to this work. We have reviewed and built upon our approach to keeping everyone safe and our contribution to public protection matters. 1,952 Adult Carer Support Plans progressed (1,040 North Lanarkshire, 912 South Lanarkshire) 1,725 Wellbeing calls made to carers (842 North Lanarkshire, 883 South Lanarkshire) "I was incredibly impressed with the professional and personal introduction I received. Whilst the member of staff advised they had only recently joined the team, and given the acute complex facets to my case, they did advise that they may have to stop and ask questions. The staff member's ability to both control and guide the call holistically was impressive. Their recall ability was also exceptional, and I expect that this will only grow with confidence and experience. They evidenced both relatable and personal qualities which underpin the delivery of core principles of social care provision. Perfect example of frontline call handling and understanding of your service in particular! After this call and such a torrid and difficult time, I felt more hopeful, positive and such enabled to meet the challenges ahead. Without your service, that would not have been possible so thank you!“ PRACTICE
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Lanarkshire Carers providing specialist dedicated and commissioned direct support to carers Working with and for carers, member led and involved Engaging and working with national partners Working collaboratively with Statutory Services Links with local community resources, voluntary support services and local businesses Our Partnership Approach This year we have expanded our work with hospital discharge teams and community liaison activities. We now have staff linked to each hospital, providing additional and recognised points-of-contact for both professionals and carers. This work is pivotal to providing continuous care and ensuring that carers voices are heard and their lived experience valued. Our Lanarkshire wide approach increases choice and control for carers and aligns with NHS Lanarkshire’s delivery model that sees people attend hospitals based on need, not location. It also supports the many carers and cared for situations which cross between the two local authorities, acute and community hospital sites. pita We supported a new partnership with the hospitality and tourism sector in Scotland. The ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher p Scheme focused on supporting individuals and families who have been particularly adversely affected by the impact of the pandemic, while at the same time providing financial support to the Scottish tourism sector. Lanarkshire Carers are the delivery partner for this Local and national partnerships provide opportunities to share good practice, inform, learn and influence. All staff in the organisation actively participate in collaborative activity to raise awareness of carers and our services and to meet the needs of carers more effectively. Staff are linked to every locality in Lanarkshire, co-located in social work teams and work in partnership with other third sector and community organisations. We also work closely with community health colleagues and in partnership with the three hospital sites in Lanarkshire. 10 scheme in Lanarkshire. PARTNERSHIP
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To involve carers effectively they need to feel listened to, supported and respected. Their contribution must be valued and have an impact. We aim to encourage and empower carers and increase their confidence to use their voices and influence in our organisation and also in wider activities locally and nationally. As a member led organisation, delivering direct support we have a unique insight into lives of carers and the impact of caring. We have facilitated carer involvement in a variety of local and national research activities, including responding to the National Care Service review and the Carer Allowance Supplement Bill consultation. A carer, supported by our organisation, gave evidence to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee regarding this Bill. Both consultation responses are on our website. In South Lanarkshire, our Carers Connected consultative forum also brings together carers from our organisation as well as carers involved in partner organisations to engage in discussion regarding a range of topics including the strategic commissioning plan, home care, accessibility and safety. Partnership and collaboration is an integral part of our work. Throughout the reporting year this has supported carers to access a diverse range of support and services including for example; PPE, anticipatory care plans, attend anywhere/near me appointments, carer card recognition/discounts, legal services and specialist services from other organisations. Lanarkshire Carers is a committed contributor in delivering joined up, non- duplicating services
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Lanarkshire Carers has strong links with both Third Sector Interface Organisations in Lanarkshire. Working closely with the VASLan, the Chief Officers Group and locality forums/groups in South Lanarkshire and also with VANL, the Community Solutions Programme and locality planning groups in North Lanarkshire. We work closely with organisations across Lanarkshire’s diverse third sector. Every year our organisation recognises and highlights Carers week; a national campaign bringing people together to help Make Caring Visible and Valued. Carers across the country continue to face new challenges as a result of the pandemic, with many people taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support. They need to be recognised for the difficulties they are experiencing, respected for all they are doing, and provided with information, support and understanding. 11 250 Carers attended one or more Carers Week events hosted by Lanarkshire Carers (Lanarkshire wide) PARTNERSHIP
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The performance monitoring of the organisation includes quarterly contract compliance reports, six monthly staff learning and development reports and a variety of other reports throughout the year. All reports highlight the numbers and narrative along with details of carers experiences of the work we do. Carer comments and case studies provide powerful evidence, highlighting the impact of caring and what helps carers to continue to care. Lanarkshire Carers Short Break Bureau must be given particular recognition this year. Established in 2014 Lanarkshire Carers Short Break Bureau has secured and distributed substantial amounts of funding in individual grants to carers. This project has built the infrastructure and processes required to deliver a streamlined and effective grant award system for carers throughout Lanarkshire. There have been many challenges as a result of Covid-19. The restrictions and barriers imposed meant that carers experienced increase stress and many were unable to take a short break from caring, away from their normal routines. Our staff team is experienced and capable of having effective conversations with carers, exploring alternative and creative ways that carers can benefit from a short break tailored to their individual circumstances. As Time to Live Delivery Partner for North and South Lanarkshire, Lanarkshire Carers is awarded one of the largest amounts of funding from the Scottish Government through Shared Care Scotland. Lanarkshire Carers Short Breaks Bureau have many years’ experience delivering large amounts of funding to carers, some of this within a very short timeframe. We have also introduced a management system to cope with the increasing volumes of carers getting in touch with us for funding. 12 £222,302 Creative Breaks Time to Live funding awarded (£128,203 North Lanarkshire, £94,099 South Lanarkshire) £117,796 ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme allocated (£66,170 North Lanarkshire, £51,626 South Lanarkshire) £101,920 Carer Flexible Support Funding awarded (£50,475 North Lanarkshire, £51,445 South Lanarkshire) £204,359 Other grant funding awarded (£109,429 North Lanarkshire, £94,930 South Lanarkshire) PERFORMANCE 1,970 Carers benefitted from grant funding (1,054 North Lanarkshire, 916 South Lanarkshire)
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Staff Highlights Nickie Murphy (Carer Support Worker) The key highlight for me was the introduction of our counselling and bereavement support service. Whilst a range of support services exist in Lanarkshire, there was a gap in provision of dedicated counselling services for carers and a demand from carers for this type of service. The feedback from carers who accessed this service has been fantastic. It’s great to see us helping carers in new and different ways and being able to meet their needs. Laura Jamieson (Carer Support Worker) As a new member of staff at Lanarkshire Carers, to learn how much support was offered to the carers in Lanarkshire was amazing. One particular highlight of my year has been supporting a carer who was struggling to manage work with her caring role. As an organisation we were able to award the carer funding through the Lanarkshire Carers Flexible Support Fund which helped the carer pay for food and energy bills for 3 months whilst benefit applications were processed. This made a huge difference to the carer as it meant that she didn’t have to worry about missing a day or two of work if her caring role meant that she couldn’t attend. Isbah Khan (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Carers Services and Equalities Co-ordinator) As Co-ordinator for the BAME Carer Services and Equalities team I have been involved with LGBTQ+ research, engagement, collaboration and recruitment activity throughout the year. I am delighted that we now have a dedicated resource to support carers from the LGBTQ+ community. Changes have been made to our Client Management system to meet the data processing requirements of this project and we have adapted our systems to capture relevant information. I am very much looking forward to seeing this project evolve in the year ahead and beyond. PERFORMANCE
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Lanarkshire Carers delivers personalised support. We champion carers rights and are committed to making caring a positive experience. Staff health and wellbeing is very important within our organisation. We continue to offer learning, development and employee benefits opportunities to promote a positive working environment. Like many organisations, this year we have seen a number of staff move on to new opportunities and different stages of their lives. We have welcomed new staff into our growing and diverse staff team. The wealth of experience and enthusiasm they bring is motivational and exciting. 14 39 Staff Team 8 Board Members 13 Volunteers supporting our work 635 Volunteer hours logged PEOPLE
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Moving to the next phase of our response to the pandemic, our focus continues to be on working together. The key to achieving a sustainable organisation will be involving everyone at Lanarkshire Carers in creating a sustainable organisation. We will achieve a sustainable future by: • Having everyone in the same boat, with two oars, rowing in the same direction • Having the right people in the right roles, doing the right things at the right times and in the right way, all working together • Recognising all paid staff, board members and other volunteers have a role to play Partnership with carers is central to this work and we look forward to working with you all in the coming year. Thank You 15 SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
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Financial Summary 2021-2022 This year a new treasurer was elected and operational staff appointed with new roles in relation to finance. We are reviewing our procedures in response to the changing business needs. We have restructured our staff team to reflect current responsibilities and more effectively deliver our services. The contracts we have from both Health and Social Carer North Lanarkshire (HSCPNL) and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (SLHSCP) meet the majority of salary and operating costs. Our thanks go to both Health and Social Care Partnerships as our main funding partners for their continued support along with Shared Care Scotland, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Carers Trust and the individuals who donate to the organisation. Lanarkshire Carers role distributing small grants to carers continues to be a growing area of our work. The organisation has reported remarkable achievements in relation to this activity. The impact that grants have on carers lives is evidenced through our evaluation and the feedback received. The links between good conversations supporting grant distribution and further support for carers are well established. A copy of the Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2022 from the audited accounts has been provided for reference. A full copy of the detailed audited accounts is available on our website. This year we seek approval of the proposal to appoint a new auditor, Robb Ferguson and thank our outgoing auditor for working with us over recent years. Our Funders FINANCIAL REPORT
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Linda Craig Treasurer and Director 16
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Statement of Financial Activities For the year ended 31 March 2022
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17 FINANCIAL REPORT
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Registered Office Ground Floor Left, Princes Gate 60 Castle Street, Hamilton ML3 6BU Company Number: SC209296 Charity Number: SC029160 Centres Lanarkshire Carers Centre; Hamilton Ground Floor Left, Princes Gate 60 Castle Street, Hamilton ML3 6BU Lanarkshire Carers Centre; Airdrie Airdrie Locality Support Service 92 Hallcraig Street, Airdrie ML6 6AW Board of Directors Samar Sheikh | Chairperson Linda Craig | Treasurer and Director Liz Beattie | Director Kevin McGoldrick | Director Phil Hughes | Director Lynn O’Hara | Director Colin Toal | Co-opted Director Gordon Lennox | Director Bill Craig | Director Auditors Ken Tait & Co Chartered Accountants 16 Haddow Street, Hamilton ML3 7HX
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lanarkshirecarers.org.uk Information, advice and support for people who care South Lanarkshire: 01698 428090 North Lanarkshire: 01236 755550 Email: info@lanarkshirecarers.org.uk
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© 2022 Lanarkshire Carers Centre Ltd Registered Office: Ground Floor Left, Princes Gate, 60 Castle Street, Hamilton, ML3 6BU Charity No: SC029160 | Company No: SC209296
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Appendix 5 Update from Lanarkshire Carers for North Lanarkshire Committee Paper - October 2022 Lanarkshire Carers is commissioned by Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire (HSCNL) to provide an information, advice and direct support services to unpaid carers. The organisation is also commissioned by South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership (SLHSCP) and therefore provides Lanarkshire wide services across each locality in Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire Carers support service delivers personalised, and case managed, emotional and practical help through meaningful, outcome focussed conversations with trusted, skilled and experienced professionals. Services include telephone and drop in/appointment based daily duty service, along with access to NHS attend anywhere and video conference call facilities. Lanarkshire Carers Short Breaks Bureau supports with a range of activities including individual carer grant funding. Lanarkshire Carers Group Work activities include a comprehensive Carer Training Programme which is carer-led and shaped. Carer Wellbeing Calls support a journey route tiered approach to case management and outgoing/ongoing carer contact. The service also delivers a Lanarkshire Carers Card scheme and independent services in partnership with others, including legal services and carers counselling support, as well as a range of other services available at no cost to carers. Part of this commissioned service includes delegated responsibility for Lanarkshire Carers to discharge some of the duties of HSCNL to deliver Adult Carer Support Plans, a partnership agreement sets out the respective and shared responsibilities for this and collaborative working arrangements that support the approach. Lanarkshire Carers works with and for carers to develop and deliver services that make a positive difference to their lives. They place carers at the heart of their organisation to ensure the services they offer are effective and accessible regardless of personal circumstances or caring situations. Carer self-refer to the organisation and this is the contact most frequently used. Facilities are also in place for professionals from any organisation to make direct referrals. A personal outcomes approach to carers support is integral to the work. They have adopted the language of the Carers Act, providing the 'right information at the right time'. In every interaction with a carer they discuss the impact of their caring role (using the national wellbeing indicators as their guide) and support carers to think about what matters to them – developing personal outcomes which forms an Adult Carer Support Plan. This is underpinned by anticipatory and preventative measures and has a focus on providing tailored support to empower the carer. This plan is agreed in partnership with the carer. Rather than focus on paperwork being
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completed, the emphasis is on the professional relationship and the conversation. This is recorded in a purpose build client relationship management system. Carers do not have to repeat their story as they are already using the outcomes of their conversations to co-produce their Adult Carer Support Plan. The information is all in one place, and all the toolkits and conversations are linked together. Lanarkshire Carers Key Carer figures for North Lanarkshire (from April 2021 to March 2022): 854 new carers in contact with Lanarkshire Carers 5,863 Carers are known to Lanarkshire Carers 3,167 Carers accessed Lanarkshire Carers services in reporting period 23,282 services access by carers from Lanarkshire Carers 166 Young Adult Carers known to Lanarkshire Carers 45 New carers from Black, Asian minority ethnic (BAME) communities, 345 BAME Carers known to Lanarkshire Carers 1,040 Adult Carer Support Plans progressed by Lanarkshire Carers More information around these key highlights, figures and impact can be found in Lanarkshire Carers latest annual report: https://lanarkshirecarers.org.uk/assets/uploads/documents/2021/12/lanarkshire- carers-annual-report-21-22.pdf Adult Carer Support Plan Partnership Statement: This agreement, between Lanarkshire Carers, HSCNL and SLHSCP was developed to maintain a mutual understanding and expectations between key partners in relation to the delivery of Adult Carer Support Plans (ACSP’s). The roles, responsibilities and boundaries of all partners have been defined and agreed. The agreement provides staff with an information and awareness raising tool and ensures that carers have access to accurate information and are signposted and referred appropriately. It was agreed and launched in May 2021 and has been supported through shared communications and staff awareness raising development workshops. A link to the ACSP Partnership Statement can be found here: https://lanarkshirecarers.org.uk/information-and-resources/professionals/lanarkshire- carers-adult-carer-support-plans-partnership-statement Lanarkshire Carers Hospital Linked Project: Lanarkshire Carers has a well- established system for partnership working across the three acute hospital sites in Lanarkshire. The team includes four Carer Support Workers specifically linked to the three NHS Lanarkshire hospital sites and to cottage/community hospitals. Part of a larger locality-based team, the dedicated hospital linked staff are well resourced to support carers involved in hospital admission, treatment and discharge for themselves or the person they care for. Lanarkshire Carers dedicated BAME carer support services is part of the wider team and enhances the hospital linked activity, including through multilingual staff who can communicate in different languages.
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Lanarkshire Carers is building on this established work through the Discharge without Delay phased programme. Developments are underway to work more proactively with partners in acute settings including co-location to help further establish good relationships and to build trust and understanding of Lanarkshire Carers and their role. The Hospital Linked Carer Support Workers already work closely with professionals and partners within these hospital sites, and work continues to further support collaborative working and to make referring to Lanarkshire Carers even more streamlined. Lanarkshire Carers Partnership, Collaboration and Co-location: Local and national partnerships provide opportunities to share good practice, inform, learn and influence. All staff in the organisation actively participate in collaborative activity to raise awareness of carers and their services and to meet the needs of carers more effectively. Lanarkshire Carers have good links with VANL, the community solutions programme and wider third sector along with locality planning groups in North Lanarkshire. The service works with the commissioned provider of NL Young Carers service to develop cross provider referral, collaborative transitional support, access to short break grant funding for young carers and to develop Lanarkshire Carers Young Adult Carer activities. 1575 carers were signposted, referred, or informed about the role of partner organisations (2021-2022) Lanarkshire Carers partnership work and referral pathways are vital within all journey routes with carers. Their staff are actively encouraged to scope the landscape and form relationships with Health and Social Care and third sector organisations to enable carers to be referred/signposted to the right support at the right time. Pre-pandemic, Carer Support Workers were co-located within all social work locality offices throughout North Lanarkshire. This promoted a valuable and effective partnership and helped to build strong working relations. Throughout the pandemic, this arrangement continued virtually and their staff have arrangements to recommence physical co-location from September 2022. Care Inspectorate ‘Understanding carer’s experiences of social work and social care service delivery’ Inquiry: The Care Inspectorate carried out an inquiry in Scotland from 28 March 2022. The purpose of this was to learn how the future support of carers can be developed and improved. North Lanarkshire was selected for a closer inquiry. As the commissioned service for Direct Adult Carer Support and Adult Carer Support Plans, Lanarkshire Carers involvement and contribution supported North Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership with the Care inspectorate inquiry. Lanarkshire Carers identified a lead officer for their organisation and Care Inspectorate short-term working group. 10 Carers attended a focus group (the maximum requested by the Care Inspectorate). 10 Carers took part in individual telephone conversations conducted by the Care Inspectorate
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The unpaid carers national survey was launched on 18 April 2022 and open to 3 June 2022. This was distributed electronically to all carers known to Lanarkshire Carers and wider through their social media channels to ensure maximum engagement and response. Sessions were held with their staff team to inform them of support carers may require completing this. 196 carers (Lanarkshire wide) were supported by Lanarkshire Carers to complete the unpaid carers survey Lanarkshire Carers included an additional BAME carer focus group with interpretation for speakers of other languages. Telephone conversations were also supported through other language interpretation services which they organised. Lanarkshire Carers Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Carer Support and Equalities Service: This is a well-established and recognised service, integral to the work of the broader team. It is one of very few dedicated BAME services in Scotland. It is recognised nationally for good practice, innovation and effectiveness. Their multilingual BAME staff work across Lanarkshire to identify, engage, inform, advise and support carers. Information is available in languages including Urdu, Polish, Arabic, Chinese, large print and Braille. This work has recently been highlighted as best practice and is part of Carers Trust Inclusive Communication Guide. Lanarkshire Carers refreshed website has access to many online services, information and forms and the recently installed software ReachDeck ensures this is available in any language required. Lanarkshire Carers identified the need for specialised and targeted support for LGBT+ carers and secured funding from Carers Trust, Making Carers Count, for a project to research LGBT+ awareness and identify challenges faced by LGBT+ carers in Lanarkshire. This project will inform organisational change and enhance inclusive and proactive service provision. The collaborative focus of this work will ensure partners will also benefit from increased recognition, understanding and ability to support carers from under-represented groups. Carers Week 2022: Lanarkshire Carers celebrate Carers week annually helping to make carers valued and visible with a range of activities and events as part of the national focus in June each year. Several online courses and face-to-face activities were held throughout the week. Highlights included a Ready, Steady, Cook workshop hosted by North Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership, Carers Rights and Services sessions held in Polish and Urdu and a Bollywood Dance workshop. The closing event was held in Chatelherault Park and included outdoor mindfulness, outdoor Tai Chi and a drop-in session, where many carers got involved, took part and accessed support about their caring role. This event was attended and acknowledged by a number of elected representatives and parties. Carer Involvement, Participation and Feedback: Lanarkshire Carers is a carer-led organisation and carer feedback, evaluation and influence is used to plan, adapt, learn and develop. Carers are encouraged to provide feedback on services accessed and carers representatives are involved in a number of work streams, including the Short Break Bureau grant panels. Lanarkshire Carers training programme is carer-led, with topics and suggestions gathered from conversations
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and carer feedback used to shape future programmes. Lanarkshire Carers proactively plan training courses that have been identified as of interest to carers through extensive partnership, outreach and community-based work. Extensive focus group, evaluation and carer satisfaction activity supports Lanarkshire Carers service development and has recently informed for example, CarersSpace, pampering, group work, counselling, anticipatory care planning and keep well provision. The organisation actively supports and encourages carers participation in national research and activities including the Carers Parliament, Coalition and Cross Party Working Group. Lanarkshire Carers continues to raise awareness of Care Opinion as a way for people to share their experiences of health and care services. Lanarkshire Carers quarterly contract monitoring arrangements for the organisation includes the submission of regular case study examples of outcomes achieved, carers quotes and comments. A minimum of 24 case studies are submitted each year along with ad hoc reports as requested/required. The impact of their work is evidenced through both statistical and narrative evidence. Lanarkshire Carers have also introduced #feedbackfriday shared via social media channels to highlight the personal outcomes achieved through their work and individual carer experiences of accessing their services and the difference this made to their lives. Short Breaks Bureau: An integral part of the commissioned service, Lanarkshire Carers Short Breaks Bureau (SBB) provides information, advice, support and activities which highlight and focus on short break opportunities for carers. The team help raise awareness of carers rights, opportunities and the variety of ways short breaks can be supported and accessed. The SBB staff support the wider team and work directly with carers to complement outcome focused conversations in relation to short breaks. In addition to short break grant funding the SBB also has information and access to other support for those in financial hardship and can access help to reduce isolation and exclusion. This includes grant funding which may assist carers through help with the cost of repair/replacement of white goods, equipment, essential items. The SBB also works with partners and professionals, locally and nationally to develop this work. Information is available for statutory, third and private sector organisation’s to raise awareness of the service and the opportunities available for carers to take a short break. 1,054 carers in North Lanarkshire benefitted from grant funding distributed by Lanarkshire Carers in 2021-2022: Creative Breaks Time to Live Fund - £128,203 awarded Carer Flexible Support Fund - £50,475 awarded ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme - £66,170 awarded Other sources of grant funding - £109,429 awarded Lanarkshire Carers Short Break Bureau secured and distributed substantial amounts of funding in individual grants to carers. The Short Break Bureau, within the commissioned service, are experts in this field and have built the infrastructure and processes required to deliver a streamlined and effective grant application process and award system for carers throughout North Lanarkshire. Their robust procedures support audit trails and due diligence prevents duplication of funding and ensures as
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many carers as possible can benefit from the limited amount of funding available. Grant awards are linked to and recorded in ACSP’s with Lanarkshire Carers outcome-based approach to grant funding having a positive impact on carers lives. This approach is referenced as good practice with Shared Care Scotland’s Rethinking Personalised Short Breaks paper. Carer Support Workers endorse and submit applications on behalf of carers, following a person-centered conversation with the carer to better understand their support needs, the outcomes they want to achieve and how they could achieve them. Taking a conversation-based approach with carers is a more effective way of understanding, helping and supporting carers. Lanarkshire Carers staff team is experienced and capable of having effective conversations with carers, exploring alternative and creative ways that carers can benefit from a short break tailored to their individual circumstances. The Carer Flexible Support Fund was initially established through winter support funding from the Scottish Government, matched and then a further contribution received from Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire. This has been a lifeline for many carers in financial hardship. This funding supports carers in crisis in lots of different ways. Applications are linked to Adult Carer Support Plan conversations and outcomes, enabling Lanarkshire Carers staff to work with carers to address longer term need whilst using funding to support them in the short term. Examples of this are referenced in Lanarkshire Carers Winter Funding Impact Report. Lanarkshire Carers Carer Card Scheme and Respitality Initiatives are also vital for ensuring carers access short breaks from caring when they need it. Additional national funding has been awarded by Shared Care Scotland to develop opportunities such as these, as well as other new initiatives, and to increase capacity of the Short Breaks Bureau. Lanarkshire Carers are involved in the national Promoting Variety Initiative – Helping local commissioning services to better understand and develop a marketplace of short break opportunities for the benefit of carers and those they care for. Scottish Government Winter Funding Package for Unpaid Carers: Following the Scottish Government announcement in January 2022 about additional funding for local carers centres during the winter period, £367,390 of funding was allocated to Lanarkshire Carers for the benefit of carers across Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire Carers was allocated a proportion of funding (in line with Carer Population Equation) to expand and enhance a range of existing support services for carers during the winter period (to be spent by end of March 2022). This included: Introducing wellbeing and counselling services for carers Acquiring IT equipment and assistive technology for carers Providing funded legal services for carers Increasing the amount of grant funding available to carers through the Creative Breaks Time to Live Fund and Carer Flexible Support Fund Enhancing opportunities available for carers through the carer training programme Providing discounted podiatry services for carers
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Purchasing hybrid and other equipment for Lanarkshire Carers to better engage with carers A comprehensive report has been produced that outlines the impact this funding has made to carers in Lanarkshire: https://lanarkshirecarers.org.uk/assets/uploads/lanarkshire-carers-winter-funding- impact-report-2022.pdf Lanarkshire Carers Digital Development 32,435 unique visits to Lanarkshire Carers website 3,494 followers on Facebook 1657 followers on twitter 506 Instagram subscribers 9,626 signed up to Lanarkshire Carers mailing list Lanarkshire Carers has a strong digital presence and audience. They have invested in the development of online/virtual services for carers. A new website has been developed with accessibility and translation tools to be more inclusive and to reach as many new and existing carers as possible. Lanarkshire Carers launched CarerSpace – an online carer conversation toolkit and single point of access for carers to record and share information about their caring circumstances, helping to start or continue a conversation about their caring roles and their support needs. A key benefit of this is that carers are able to log on to CarerSpace independently and can start to consider their caring role by themselves, or with friends, family and other trusted professionals beside them. The tool can be accessed day or night and is therefore available whenever the carer finds the time, energy and focus to think. The responses can be submitted to Lanarkshire Carers, and a Carer Support Worker will then contact the carer to discuss further and look at ways to help address any of the unmet support needs they have identified. Once the conversation with Lanarkshire Carers has progressed, and an Adult Carer Support Plan agreed, carers can also access a copy of their ACSP via the portal too. This can be useful to refer to at any point, to share with professionals/friends/family that they wish, or to let Lanarkshire Carers know if their circumstances have changed. This single point of access for the carer means they are not confused by additional or disjointed paperwork, terminology or barriers in the way of them accessing good conversations to lead to decisions about their support. Virtual/online engagement continues to be a popular and preferred method of communication with many carers in North Lanarkshire. Lanarkshire Carers has invested in new equipment and resources (predominantly funded by external sources) that will enable them to continue engaging with carers in this way, including Video Conferencing equipment for use in one to one or group settings using a range of platforms including Teams, Zoom and NHS Near Me. They invested in new portable equipment for staff, creating a more flexible and agile workforce that can co- locate across the community. They have also invested in software to develop more engaging content for carers and partners. The organisation recognises and values
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the unique and vital place for and impact of in-person services and also recognises the opportunities that digital services offer to further enhance their offer and make best use of limited resources. The extensive service delivery model ensures that carers can be supported in ways which best meet their individual needs and preferences. Governance and Membership: Lanarkshire Carers is run by carers for carers. Their Board of Directors meet regularly throughout the year to oversee the work of the organisation; providing strategic direction and ensuring their legal responsibilities and duties are met. The Strategic Framework – Journey Route to 2025 – is agreed and in place. Their new membership structure helps to identify those members who want to support the board with their governance role and get more involved in consultation and engagement activities. Lanarkshire Carers recognises that carers are experts by experience and that they are equal partners who need to be at the heart of their work and involved at every stage. They aim to ensure that carers can contribute to all parts of their organisation, to help shape responsive services. Their new membership structure supports new approaches and meaningful carer involvement and participation, recognising that the changing needs and dynamics of caring and a membership level between full and/or affiliate can be changed at any time. Staff Health, wellbeing and development: Lanarkshire Carers is committed to ensuring that health, wellbeing and development of their staff remains a key priority for their organisation, ensuring their diverse workforce is highly skilled and able to meet the needs of carers. Development activities throughout the year have included a focus on the future of the organisation and how each member of staff contributes to its success and the delivery and development of services for the benefit of carers through their sustainable future strategy. Protected learning sessions with staff focus on key areas such as Adult Support and Protection, Adult Carer Support Planning, Data Protection and Information Security as well as other topics to ensure their staff team are prepared, informed and knowledgeable. These sessions provided staff with opportunities for confidence building, practicing of skills, involvement and engagement with all areas of their organisation. Increased digital capacity has meant that Lanarkshire Carers have been able to accelerate the pace of learning and development, coming together more frequently in larger groups, without this impacting on service delivery to carers. Digital learning is now facilitated in a regular planned way with ‘Protected Learning Sessions’, as well as having ‘on-demand’ training that can be accessed from a library whenever suitable. Their staff benefits package has been reviewed and enhanced to promote staff wellbeing and improve employee retention and attraction. Their Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides information and resources for general wellbeing with access to courses, discounts and perks, fitness programmes, and articles about prioritising mental health. Lanarkshire Carers is a Carer Positive
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employer, Healthy Working Lives accredited, Volunteer friendly and a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer. Carers Census Data: Lanarkshire Carers contributes to the requirement of Carer Census Data returns for North Lanarkshire, shared annually with Scottish Government to measure the impact of the implementation of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. They have developed systems to capture and report data on carers who access support through their service. For 2021-2022 reporting period, Lanarkshire Carers included 3,122 carer records in their return to Scottish Government, detailing the types of support carers required and the how Lanarkshire Carers supported these carers to meet their needs. They carry out regular data cleansing activity to ensure the data they record and report on is as accurate as possible. Sustainable Future: Lanarkshire Carers is a local employer of 41 people who mainly all live and work within Lanarkshire, many of whom are carers themselves. The organisation provided an immediate and comprehensive pandemic response, made possible through their business continuity planning activity, that enabled them to deliver a continuous and flexible service for carers. Moving to the next phase of their response to the pandemic, Lanarkshire Carers focus continues to be on developing a leading service for the benefit of carers. The key to achieving this is continued longer term funding which has supported development, improved service provision and enabling the organisation to plan and develop services accordingly. Authors: David McCord, Francine O’Donnell and Barbara McAuley 11 October 2022 Tel: 01236 755550 / 01698 428090
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Appendix 6 North Lanarkshire Carers Together (NLCT) – Update Report Oct 22 North Lanarkshire Carers Together (NLCT) provide a Campaigning and Representation service and are the dedicated Information and Advice service for carers and professionals who come into contact with carers. Information Over the past year the service has provided more than 4,500 pieces of information to more than 1100 carers, of which 625 were newly identified and the service made 623 referrals to a range of services including: Financial Inclusion team Young and Adult carer supports North Lanarkshire Disability Forum Range of Social Work services A lot of information over the past year still revolved around supports directly related to COVID including PPE and information on where and how to access vaccinations. There is a reliance on the NLCT staff team for emotional support and personalised interventions, particularly with the ongoing social care difficulties for those they care for. A new rebranded Carer Information Pack has been developed outlining what a carer is, carer rights, the range of NLCT services and what supports are available across the local authority. Carer Engagement & Representation Carer engagement and representation is essential to the development of local services and policies and to feed into national and local consultations. This also has to be meaningful, supported, funded and crucially the loop needs to close in that there has to be feedback to carers who give their time to contribute. NLCT frame all consultation with their guiding principle ‘We Asked, You Said, We Did’ and is their promise to those carers who form part of their Carer Forum. The Forum meets in-person, digitally and also has a closed private social media group. It has 48 members. This past year, the Carer Forum led within North Lanarkshire the consultation with carers on the proposed National Care Service and with the development of Carer Breather*. NLCT also led locally on the national Care Inspectorate Inquiry into carers experiences of adult social work and social care which included a ‘deep dive’ into 5 Health & Social Care Partnership areas including North Lanarkshire. Feedback and results are always provided to those carers in an accessible format whom participate in engagement. NLCT also represent carers views and needs in the following networks and fora:
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Children, Young People and Families Network BAME Network Strategic Commissioning Planning Group Integrated Joint Board SDS Network Mental Health Communications & Reference Group 3rd sector Health and Wellbeing Network Community Solutions Governance subgroup Community Solutions Carer Support Network Leads Community Boards Community & Voluntary Sector Partnership Group Chair / SLB Rep NL Advice Network NL Social Enterprise Network Old Age Psychiatry Programme Rural Network Campaigning In partnership with the Carer Positive Team at Carers Scotland, the service host 2 events each year identifying and encouraging local partners to become carer positive employers and recently campaigned in support of the private members bill to Westminster for statutory time off for those working alongside a caring role. A key piece of work the service provides is a Carer Aware Programme - delivering training sessions to carers and partners, informing them of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, of carer rights, and where and how to access support and services for carers locally. Over the past year they have delivered 17 sessions to 244 carers and partners, which includes 6 sessions to 65 front-line social work staff. The service is currently promoting 1 session per month to Health & Social Care to campaign on the important contribution carers provide to the social care system as Equal Partners. In October this year, a Carer Aware session was delivered to elected members. NLCT has a programme of work with the community partnership team and routinely work in partnership to identify parent carers, inform them of supports available and are currently leading on co-produced cost of living events across the Northern Corridor. NLCT continue to promote Care Opinion to carers and partners and will ensure access to Care Opinion will also be available to carers from the BAME community, with the use of Language Line if necessary. Developments Carer Advocacy NLCT launched an Independent Advocacy Service on 13th September 2021, and it is now operating a waiting list due to demand for the service. Since inception, the Advocacy Worker has supported approximately 50 carers on a range of issues. Family Support
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The service is also entering into its second year commissioned by North Lanarkshire Council Education & Families to provide a family support service to parent carers who have a child or young person with additional needs. The child’s named person, or the Neuro Developmental team in CAMHS can refer into the service where the family receive support such as psychoeducation on the child’s condition, help with strategies, emotional support, information, advice, signposting to relevant statutory and community supports. Carer Breather *For many years the idea of a short break was either traditional respite or a cash grant which often have restricted eligibility criteria, such as caring for someone over 18 or with a specific disability. The service led on a consultation with carers, putting them at the heart of service design to consider alternative and creative ways to provide a short break. Carers fed back that service providers needed to think outside the box and address the need for time out that didn’t only take the form of an annual short break, but that was easily accessible in the community, available on a regular basis and more flexible in terms of availability throughout the day. From these insights, the Carer Breather funded projects were set up to offer activities such as art therapy, health and wellness activities, holistic support, and groups supporting people caring for loved ones with learning disabilities or living with long term conditions. This service is now supported by NLCT as Carer Support Network Leads within Community Solutions. Carers can now access new services across North Lanarkshire that provide breaks from their caring roles and allow them to take some quality time out for themselves. The Carer Breather projects and pilot Sitter Services were developed directly through listening to the views of carers, and will be utilising the Carer Pathway Toolkit to engage carers in conversation as part of a light touch early intervention within the local community. Carer Podcast NLCT recently launched their new and novel way of getting information out to carers and those who come into contact with them through the development of a Carer Podcast early in the new year. Actor Jane McCarry agreed to discuss her previous caring roles and the impact the pandemic has had on mental health and wellbeing of carers and the people they care for in the inaugural recording. There are many plans for future episodes including an interview with a local GP and a carer discussing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. All NLCT activity is dependent and revolves around sound partnership working and trust across the rich and diverse statutory and community and voluntary sectors.