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Commitment to carers: third South event for health and social care leads to support carer health and wellbeing

NHS England South, together with the Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), will run a third event in January to support partners improve carer health and wellbeing.

Carer leads in clinical commissioning groups, local authorities, the third sector and carer representatives, are invited to join the Caring Together event on Thursday 26 January, which forms part of our commitment to carers work.

In 2014 NHS England published our commitment to carers to give them the recognition and support they need to provide invaluable care for loved ones. With 1.4 million people providing 50 or more carer hours a week for a partner, friend or family member, they make a significant contribution to society and the NHS.

More recently, we have developed a toolkit with our partners to help health and social care organisations work together in identifying, assessing and supporting the wellbeing of carers and their families.

The event will look at the toolkit and will give carer leads an opportunity to discuss the principles to help better identify and help carers to stay well; the resources available to support putting these into place across the South; and how we can work together as health and social care carer leads for better carer health and wellbeing.

Kath Rooksby, commitment to carers co-lead in the South said: “Since we started the commitment to carers work in the South region in 2014, we have mapped carer service activity. This demonstrates progressive engagement with carers, development of carer hubs, innovative projects to identify carers, which in turn leads to signposting and carer assessments, and much more. There is a strong link between health and social care commissioners and providers and the voluntary sector to ensure carers are identified. These events will help us to take this work even further because we have an opportunity to impart the toolkit with those that can apply its principles into practice.

“We have worked closely with ADASS to make sure these events are hands-on so all delegates will leave with ideas of next steps they can take, as well as having an opportunity to network with neighbouring leads and share best practice.”

Caring Together will be held on Thursday 26 January in Coin Street, London 108 Stamford Street, South Bank London SE1 9NH.

For more information and to register your place contact Kath Rooksby.

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