Somerset Council commissioned us to run the Somerset Carers Engagement Project from Summer 2022, culminating in the creation of the new Commitment to Carers.
Developed in collaboration with hundreds of carers from across Somerset, the Commitment acknowledges the invaluable contribution and challenges they face. It outlines the values and actions that health and social care services should implement to make sure unpaid carers are supported and able to stay healthy and well while they carry out their vital caring roles.
Priorities for unpaid carers
The Commitment to Carers 2024 outlines priorities aimed at recognising, supporting, and empowering unpaid carers, including young carers. These priorities include addressing carers’ health and wellbeing needs; providing breaks from caring roles; ensuring easy access to information, health and care support, and learning opportunities; and involving carers in decision-making processes about the services they use. Approaches that focus on fostering carer friendly cultures, promoting inclusive partnerships and recognising unpaid carers as experts by experience are needed.
Recommended actions for implementation
To bring these priorities to life, health and social care services in Somerset are encouraged to adopt key principles and actions outlined in the new Commitment, emphasising the need to respect and value carers, identify carers in primary care, ensure quality support, and enhance communication and joined-up working. The Commitment also calls for a special focus on young carers, on building awareness and access to support and opportunities, and involving unpaid carers in service improvement initiatives.
Somerset’s Commitment to Carers 2024 is aligned with the 2014 and 2022 Care Acts. It was formally endorsed by Somerset’s ICB in March 2024 and will inform and influence all health and social care strategies, commissioning decisions and service developments in the future. It will be overseen by the Somerset Carers Strategic Partnership Board.
Lucie Woodruff, CEO of Evolving Communities said: “Somerset’s new Commitment to Carers represents an important milestone in empowering and supporting unpaid carers to influence positive changes in health and social care services. It was a privilege to work with so many people who found time, despite their caring responsibilities, to share their stories and ideas with us to help transform support for unpaid carers. We are delighted that the Commitment to Carers has been formally endorsed by the ICB, Council and NHS in Somerset, and we now look forward to them working together with the voluntary and community sector to turn these commitments into positive action to improve support for unpaid carers.”
Councillor Sarah Wakefield, Lead Executive Member for Adults Services at Somerset Council said: “There are approximately 50,000 unpaid carers in Somerset (and possibly more than that) who provide vital support to the people they care for. Many of these people don’t think of themselves as carers, as they see what they do as a normal part of family life, or just being a good friend. Caring for someone, though very rewarding, can also be very isolating and demanding, so as a Local Authority, we have a duty to support them to look after the people they love.”
Find out more
- Read the Somerset’s Commitment to Carers 2024 report and find out how it was coproduced with unpaid carers.
- Watch videos of carers, Alison and Siana, talk about their caring roles and what the Commitment to Carers means to them.
Find out more about our work driving improvements in health and social care by harnessing public and patient feedback and insight.