The Social Care Collaborative Forum has been established by the Department of Health to lead a programme of work to improve social care services, support the adult social care reform programme and contribute to the transformation of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. One of the priorities of the Forum is supporting unpaid carers and we will be holding a series of workshops throughout February and March 2024 to examine the provision of information and advice to carers across Health Trusts.
Access and sign-posting to relevant information is vital to support people providing unpaid care and ensure they know what help or services they and their loved ones are entitled to. While many carers are able to access the information they need, we know that others sometimes struggle.
If you’re an unpaid carer, or you work with or support unpaid carers, we’d like to hear your views on how existing information systems can be improved to ensure every carer in Northern Ireland has access to the information they need, when they need it.
The workshops will discuss a range of key issues in this area, including:
- Unpaid carers’ information support needs
- Existing provision of information and sign-posting for unpaid carers across Northern Ireland
- The role of statutory bodies and stakeholders from the community, voluntary and independent sectors
- The identification of carers and provision of Carer’s Assessments as gateways to information and advice on caring
- How information provision and sign-posting for unpaid carers can be improved in the future.
Workshops for unpaid carers, Health and Social Care professionals and representatives of the community, voluntary and independent sectors will be held both online and in-person during February and March 2024.
To register for a workshop and share your views and experiences, please click here
If you require any further information, please contact: reform.careandsupport@health-ni.gov.uk.
