Trying to help the borough’s unpaid carers
IN last month’s Healthwatch column we told you about the difficulties that unpaid carers in Wokingham had faced during the pandemic.
In summary, the main concerns emerging from our report were: the decline of those they look after, carer workload and lack of time away from caring responsibilities, and the impact on carers’ wellbeing.
Not all carers understood their rights. Not all carers knew that they could register as a carer. Direct payment users raised a specific complaint about lack of flexibility
This month we would like to update you on our report recommendations and responses from service providers.
Healthwatch Wokingham Borough recommends that a collaborative campaign should be carried out by NHS Berkshire West, Wokingham Borough Council, Healthwatch, TuVIDA, and the local voluntary sector, where appropriate, to:
Identify ‘hidden’ carers and others who lack information and support
Review and improve Boroughwide GP surgery support for carers
Increase information and support offered to registered/known carers to address the challenges affecting them
Continue and potentially expand what worked well during the Covid period.
CCG Comment: We support the idea of a collaborative campaign on carers.
We suggest that Healthwatch Wokingham Borough present the report to the Wokingham Integration (Leadership) Board to consider how this can be taken forward.
Wokingham Borough Council to publish written guidance for direct payment recipients who cannot spend their payments normally.
To be accessible via a link on their website and sent to those who aren’t digitally enabled. Training and monitoring to ensure staff apply it consistently.
Prioritise provision and take up of respite options especially for exhausted full-time carers looking after carees with the highest support needs.
Clinical Commissioning Group to consider updates to the carers information on GP surgery websites, including:
Providing more information about the benefits of registering as a carer with a GP practice.
Include, on all GP practice web sites, links to other Carers services in the Borough, including but necessarily limited to, Wokingham Borough Council website relating to their carers offer and contact number for adult social care hub. Links to TuVida carers service, links to Crossroads Care.
Ideally create a Carers specific tab or tile on the home page of GP practice web sites so Carers information is quick and easy to navigate to.
CCG comment: Recently there has been a reorganisation of digital support to the CCG. I have reached out to the new programme manager to discuss these recommendations and how they can be taken forward.
However, I am cautious about the second recommendation, that links should not be limited to the Wokingham Borough website.
The CCG or practices do not have the resource to maintain and update a range of links and contacts across all our web sites.
It would be more straightforward to have the council site as the main repository of information for carers. As a system, this would mean updates only need to be made once
There is a disparity between the number of carers registered with GP surgeries (approximately 4,404) and those registered with Wokingham Borough Council (approximately
738).
In order that carers have the knowledge of the carers offer from GP surgeries and Wokingham Borough Council, create a process where GP practices sign post newly registered Carers to Wokingham Borough Council and their Carers offer and vice versa.
CCG Comment: The number of people registered as a carer with general practice increased by 10% between February and October
2021 (4,047 to 4,404). This may be attributable to carers being urged to make sure they are registered so they do not miss out on their invitation to get a Covid-l9 vaccination.
The full report can be viewed on our website.
How to get in touch with Healthwatch Wokingham
0118 418 1418 between the hours of 09:00 – 17:00 Monday to Friday. Healthwatch Wokingham
Town Hall, Market Place Wokingham, RG40 1AS enquiries@ healthwatchwokingham.co.uk