We're outlining support for unpaid carers in new strategy
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Following a 14-week consultation, we've launched our new Adult Carers Strategy for the next 5 years; from 2022 to 2027.
The strategy recognises the role that carers have in providing unpaid care and support to friends, family, and neighbours, and contains five priorities we hope to put in place over the next five years to better support unpaid carers.
As a result of the consultation, the fifth priority of ‘A Life After Caring’ was added to reflect the needs of those carers whose caring role changes or ends. It was also adapted to include information on the voluntary and community sector services we've commissioned which are available to support carers and those they care for.
The strategy was developed with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (BLMK CCG), and co-produced with carers and voluntary and community organisations that deliver services and help represent the views of the people they support.
Councillor Carole Hegley, our Executive Member for Adult Social Care, said:
We can’t underestimate the impact of our unpaid carers, and the support they give to the people they care for. Our strategy is designed to ensure that services continue to consider the needs of carers and their individual circumstances, and that support is available to the carer when they need it.
We’re extremely grateful to everyone who took part in the consultation, and we’re now developing an action plan and timeline to outline how we will deliver our priorities. This will be overseen by a carers board, made up of representatives from several organisations. We are committed to supporting Central Bedfordshire’s unpaid carers and improving their lives and the opportunities available to them.
As of 2020, Carers UK estimated that there were around 13.6 million people in the UK caring for someone else, with another 6,000 people taking on a caring responsibility every day. Locally it is estimated that 10% of the population in Central Bedfordshire are unpaid carers.