Have your say: support for unpaid carers

Date Added: 25/11/2021

Consultation launches today

Today we have launched a public consultation on our new Adult Carers Strategy. It outlines how we will support unpaid carers who are caring for family, friends and neighbours living in Central Bedfordshire.

Did you know?
Estimates suggest that there are around 30,000 unpaid carers in Central Bedfordshire - around 10 per cent of the local population – providing care for a few hours a day, a few days a week or around the clock. This has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Carers UK reporting that 81% of carers across the UK are providing more care than before lockdown.

How we’ll support unpaid carers
The Council’s new strategy Adult Carers Strategy contains four priorities the Council hopes to put in place over the next five years to ensure unpaid carers:
• are offered more appropriate information, advice and support, and are given opportunities to share their views and to help to shape local services
• have the opportunity to have a family and community life that includes things of interest to them alongside their caring role
• remain emotionally and physically well
• receive training to enable them to support their cared for person better

It was developed with input from Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (BLMK CCG), carers and voluntary and community organisations that deliver services and help represent the views of people they support.

Have your say
We are keen to hear from as many people as possible, but in particular we’d like to hear from people who provide care and whose lives are impacted by their caring responsibilities, and those who receive care.

The consultation document and the consultation questionnaire are available online at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations. The consultation is open until 3 March 2022