Do you spend time looking after or helping a friend, partner or family member due to illness, disability, frailty or addiction? The care you provide may be personal, practical, emotional or supervisory and is unpaid. If this applies to you then you are a carer.
In Sheffield approximately 1 in 10 people are a carer.
Would you like to be involved in influencing services to support you and other carers?
Sheffield City Council and partners are updating the Carers Strategy and want you to be involved in this process. The Council is acutely aware of the contribution made by all carers for those they care for and to the wider community.
They want to develop their carers’ strategy with carers, in recognition of their role as expert partners. Your views will help determine what the priorities are for carers who live in Sheffield.
Key priorities – do you think that the 8 objectives outlined in the last Carers Strategy ‘Sheffield: a city where every carer matters’ are still relevant to carers now?
They are:
- Organisations work together to support carers more effectively.
- The role that carers do is recognised within organisations and communities so more carers are identified and supported.
- Carers are given information advice and advocacy so they know what the options are in their situations and feel able to make decisions.
- Carers are able to continue caring for as long as they want to. They will get appropriate support to stop them breaking down physically and emotionally.
- All carers have the opportunity to input and influence how services for them and the people they care for are designed and delivered.
- Carers who work are supported so they can sustain employment if they want to.
- Carers are able to have a life of their own outside of their caring role.
- Young carers have the same life opportunities as other children and young people and don’t take on caring roles that are inappropriate.
Let the council know if you think these priorities are still important or if you want to be involved in developing the next Carers Strategy – you can get in touch with your views and contact details:
By email: carers@sheffield.gov.uk
By letter: Emma Dickinson, Floor 9, West wing, Moorfoot Building, Sheffield S1 4PL
By telephone: 0114 273 4746
If you get involved, it could be through a workshop, event, questionnaire or speaking to a council worker. The council understands caring can be time consuming and appreciate any contribution of time carers are able to make.