Working with employers to support carers better

Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business

We are pleased to announce that Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business’ is now ready for use.

We have completed the third phase of this project to develop a national learning/training framework with supporting resources to ensure that key workers receive training to support carers better.

Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business – Launched June 2011

‘Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business’

Part one - who carers are (as distinct from care workers)
Part two - why carers are important
Part three - how you can support the learning and development of your workforce to improve and enhance your services for the people who use them, and their carers.

This is not an 'off the shelf' training package, but rather the tools and guidance that can enable you to commission or develop learning to reflect local workforce needs and  local settings and context. It aims to be flexible enough to be delivered in a variety of ways to meet differing working and learning needs and across different sectors.

The common core principles of good practice, developed earlier in the project in consultation with carers, people working directly with carers, and interested parties across health, social care and other key sectors  are embedded throughout ‘Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business’.

Alongside a wide group of stakeholders, we have worked with 12 sites across England to help shape ‘Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business’. The sites have used the resources to develop and deliver training in their area in order to ensure it is fit for purpose prior to making it more widely available.

We have also worked with early implementer sites, who have been the first organisations to try out the new resources following their shaping though the development sites. The early implementer sites have helped us to gather evidence about how the new resources and materials have made a difference to staff and most importantly to the lives and experiences of carers.

Development and early implementer site details can be found here.

Next steps

The impact assessment will continue with early implementer sites until late spring 2011 and its results will inform any further minor revisions to  ‘Carers Matter – Everybody’s Business’

We have a virtual stakeholder group for this project that is open to anyone who wishes to contribute or simply keep up to date with the progress of this piece of work. If you would like to join please contact carersstrategy@skillsforcare.org.uk

You may wish to visit our partner Skills for Care’s website - www.skillsforcare.org.uk