A working group has been formed by the Guernsey Community Foundation to look at the support services currently in place for carers in Guernsey and identify any gaps in provision.
The group, led by Peter Harwood, a previous Chair of the States Supported and Living Well Strategy, is conducting interviews with organisations that work with carers and is investigating the many challenges that carers can face. This includes carers of any age: young people who are caring for older family members; parents of disabled children or children with a serious health condition; and those who look after older or disabled family members. The group is looking at carers of individuals with any medical or age-related condition.
The group has so far identified respite care, training, future care, service transition for young people/adults, financing of care, peer support, referral issues, flexibility with employers as all being key issues.
If anyone would be interested to contribute their experiences of being a carer, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Or we would also be pleased to hear from any organisation which supports carers.
Whilst the group is meeting with several stakeholders, there will be a wider meeting held later this year to discuss the group’s initial findings and to look at how these issues could be tackled.
Interested parties should contact Sadie Siviter de Paucar of the Guernsey Community Foundation on 748056 or sadie@foundation.gg.
This announcement has been made during Carers Week (6th-12th June) – an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. Please see www.carersweek.org for further information.
