Applications window now closed – Could you play your part in making life better for Carers?
Applications window now closed
We are totally committed to increasing the involvement of Carers in the organisation to ensure we listen and respond to the support needs of Carers in the most effective way. We have a Carer Involvement strategy and a Carer Involvement Policy to ensure this.
We are currently recruiting members to a Carers’ Involvement Advisory Group which is being established to review involvement plans for all new and existing services and priorities.
This will involve attending regular meetings (typically monthly for a couple of hours, in person or virtually) and also receiving and reviewing information between meetings. Meetings will be set, as much as possible, to allow for the busy caring roles that people have.
We are looking to recruit up to 16 Carers from a cross-section of areas in East Kent and different caring role circumstances.
- Carers representing carers across all age ranges
- Carers from Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Faversham, Folkestone and Hythe and Thanet
- Men and women
- Carers experiencing a mixture of family circumstances.
- Carers experiencing a mixture of caring situations (full time, part-time, children and adults, current and former carers)
We are particularly interested in hearing from carers who rarely use carer services, as well as carers already familiar with Carers’ Support East Kent.
We have been working with a Carer Involvement Task Group up to now. Here is what one of our members said about what it’s like to be involved:
“I was thrilled to be recruited to be a member of the task group, as it was an opportunity to share some of my experiences as a Carer and to help to influence the sort of support and help that can be offered to carers. It took me several years to accept that I was a Carer, and I guess I am not alone, so getting help and support to those who need it is a key aim of the group. We operated through a difficult time, having had just one meeting before the COVID-19 lockdown; however we carried on and mastered some of the technologies that enabled us to stay in touch. I found it really interesting to share ideas with other carers and to read and review the results of this work. Finding time through a stressful period was quite challenging, but seeing the completed strategy document and the positive response it received from the CSEK Board, made it all very worthwhile. We now have a clear way forward and hope you will join some of us in helping to implement the strategy and to use your personal experiences to ensure CSEK continues to provide the care and support carers need to continue in their role.”
Whilst the role is voluntary, transport costs will be covered and we will endeavour to provide funds for replacement care so that members can attend the meetings in person.
The closing date for applications is 30th October 2020.