During Carers Week (10 to 17 June), North Lincolnshire Council is highlighting the amazing job that carers do for their loved ones.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities.
It also helps people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and enable them to get the help they need at the right time in the right way.
During the week the council hopes to create a better understanding of the needs of people caring for loved ones. This includes young carers caring for a parent with a disability or adults caring for family at a later stage of life.
This year’s campaign is focussing on ‘getting carers connected’.
The council is committed to supporting carers of any age and provide advice and guidance for all carers if they need it.
Caring can be a hugely rewarding experience but carers often find it difficult balancing the needs of love ones with their own wellbeing. ‘Connecting carers’ means enabling carers to access the right support, champion carer needs and to link carers together for peer support.
There are 6.5 million carers in the UK. In North Lincolnshire there are approximately 19,000 carers. The council offers carer support services and regularity meet their representatives.
Cllr Ralph Ogg, cabinet member for adults and health, said:
“My recent meeting with the Carers Advisory Partnership was very inspiring and locally they have done a great deal to help carers and to raise awareness.
“I was challenged to pledge to the ‘connecting carers’ campaign and I will be offering all the support I can in my role.”
A carer is someone who helps another person in their day to day life. This is usually a relative or friend. It is not the same as someone who provides care professionally or through a voluntary organisation.
It is estimated that there are about 700,000 young carers in the UK. Being a young carer often means looking after a family member who has an illness, disability or is drug/alcohol dependent.
Young carers are required to offer care and support above and beyond what is typical for their age. Tasks may include helping with bathing, personal care and dressing, keeping someone safe, helping to run the family home, responding in an emergency, and offering emotional support and guidance.
Cllr Carl Sherwood, cabinet member for environment and community wellbeing, said:
“Being a carer can be hugely demanding on the person doing the caring no matter what their age. The council offers support and advice for all carers to ensure they get the help they need. This could be anything from just having a chat with someone, meeting up with other carers or having a break away. This all helps reduce the amount of pressure on their daily lives.
“Caring for somebody is an extremely selfless thing for somebody to do. Carers support millions of people up and down the country every day so it is only right they are recognised for this. It is a big responsibility and we want to make sure they know that they are not alone.”
North Lincolnshire Council Wellbeing and Young Carers Team are committed to offering information, advice and support. They can work alongside young carers and their families to explore reducing excessive levels of young carer responsibilities and working with you to look at how caring is affecting your life.
Contact the Young Carers team by calling 01724 297000.
North Lincolnshire Council commissions the Carers Support Service to deliver advice, information and support to adult and parent carers in North Lincolnshire. Further information is available by calling 01652 650585.
The Family Carer Team works within North Lincolnshire Adult Services. The team’s primary focus is on the needs of the carer, keeping them well and enabling them to live their life while undertaking a caring role. You can contact them by emailing familycarerteam@northlincs.gov.uk or calling 01724 298393.
