This Carers Week, Family Member Representatives of Learning Disability England – Kate Chate, Liz Wilson, Paula Strike and James O’Rourke – reflect on this years theme ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’.
The theme of this years Carers Week ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities’ is a reminder to recognise, value and support carers in every part of society, including the workplace.
As Family Member Representatives, we know members share a commitment to people with learning disabilities, and to the families and carers who support them.
We also know that one cannot live a good life without the other.
Carers don’t just provide practical help. They:
- support people to build relationships and stay connected
- advocate alongside them
- make it possible for people to contribute to their communities: for example, by helping someone get to work or take part in local groups
But carers can only do this well when they are supported to maintain their own wellbeing. When carers thrive, the people they support are more likely to thrive too.
So, we think it’s important to ask: How are we making sure carers can live a good life?
Many people in our sector are carers themselves. They may support people all day at work, then go home and care for a family member, friend or neighbour. Yet they are not always recognised or supported.
Workplaces can help by becoming more carer‑friendly. For example:
- offering flexible working
- having policies that recognise caring responsibilities
- creating a culture where carers feel able to talk about their role and ask for support
Anyone can become a carer at any time, often unexpectedly. Carer‑friendly workplaces therefore benefit far more people than we might realise.
Supporting carers isn’t just the right thing to do it strengthens organisations. Carers bring skills such as resilience, problem‑solving and commitment, and their lived experience can improve services and understanding.
This Carers Week, we encourage Learning Disability England members to explore the Carers Week resources and consider what more can be done to support carers in their organisations and communities.
This includes the new Building Carer Friendly Communities blueprint, launching during Carers Week, which sets out a shared vision for making support for carers everyone’s business.
We also want to remind carers of their legal right to a Carer’s Assessment under the Care Act 2014. This assessment looks at your needs as a carer, not just the needs of the person you support.
It can lead to practical help such as equipment, support to stay in work, or help maintaining your own wellbeing.
You can ask your local authority for a Carer’s Assessment at any time.
When carers are supported, everyone is more likely to live a good life.
Learning Disability England Family Member Representatives