Carers Week - Building Carer Friendly Communities - working with the system.
- Jenny Hewitt
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
Carers Week - Building Carer Friendly Communities - working with the system.
So far this Carers Week, we have thought about what Carers Week is and why it is important.
"Carers Week which aims to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers, and access much-needed support.”
Carers & Communities provides support for unpaid carers across Worcestershire, and we are celebrating carers in a big way this Carers Week, whilst also recognising the tremendous role they play in our communities and society, often in challenging circumstances.
Why Carer Voice Matters
Carers & Communities supports unpaid carers across Worcestershire. This Carers Week, we have also highlighted why Carer Voice is so important. Carers’ lived experience can make a real difference in shaping and influencing the systems that support their role in communities and wider society.
Building carer-friendly communities depends on working together, listening to carers, understanding what they need, and acting on what they tell us. Carers consistently say they need a break and want to feel recognised and valued, yet many still feel invisible.
The Accelerating Reform Fund Project
The importance of listening to carers and involving them in decisions is even more evident in the latest Accelerating Reform Fund project. Our work and report focuses on hospital discharge and provides a detailed look at why carers need to be involved throughout the journeys they and the people they care for navigate, from the earliest possible stage.
With regards to hospital discharge, the ARF report states: "The implications for discharge flow, readmissions, carer breakdown and health inequalities are significant if carers are not identified and involved at the earliest opportunity."
The report is clear and highlights the impact of collaborative work across health, social care and voluntary sector partners to improve support for unpaid carers during and after hospital discharge. Funded through the Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF), the project focused on identifying carers earlier, strengthening communication between services, and ensuring carers receive timely information, advice and practical support to help them in their caring role. This report outlines the key achievements, learning and outcomes from the programme, alongside opportunities for future development to continue improving carers’ experiences across Worcestershire.
Summary Key findings :
Carer identification remains inconsistent and significantly below expected levels.
Only 27% of the 67 carers felt their own needs were considered during discharge planning.
There is a clear disconnect between strategic policy and operational practice.
Carers are frequently perceived as barriers to discharge, rather than partners in care.
Small, targeted changes within pathways can have a positive system impact.
Carers experience significant health inequalities, financial strain, and increased caring intensity post-discharge.
To fully realise the benefits of this work, the system must now move from insight to implementation.
Key priorities include:
A standardised, system wide approach to carer identification
A dedicated carer offer embedded within discharge pathways
Executive level endorsement of carers as equal partners in care
Implementation of a carer dashboard for performance oversight
Integration of Technology Enabled Solutions, for carers as part of routine discharge practice
The ARF programme provides clear evidence that improving carer identification, involvement and support is not an optional enhancement but a system necessity.
The programme recognises the sustained and unprecedented pressures currently facing the NHS, both now and in the future. Acute and community services are operating within high demand, workforce restraints, financial challenge and increasing clinical complexity. Despite this, staff continue to demonstrate extraordinary professionalism, resilience and compassion in delivering safe care.
Behind every discharge is a family adapting to change, often at pace.
Behind every hospital bed is a multidisciplinary team balancing flow, safety and quality. This programme has consistently highlighted that discharge sustainability is a shared responsibility – one that depends not only on clinical readiness, but also on carer capacity, confidence and resilience.
Carers’ Stories
This report shares the stories of four carers, following their experiences from hospital admission through to discharge.
These stories may be difficult to read, but they are essential in showing the impact that excluding carers can have during significant life transitions such as hospital discharge.
We encourage you to read the report and share it with friends, colleagues, and your wider networks.
Although implementation is still ongoing, one lasting outcome of this work is a renewed commitment to making sure carers’ voices are heard and that their lived experiences help shape meaningful, lasting change across the system.
Carer Voice
We encourage carers to get in touch to find out about other opportunities to get involved in areas related to caring, whether that is sharing lived experience, helping shape services, contributing to local conversations, or influencing future developments.
Get in touch with the Carer Voice team here:
Comments