Carers Charter
The Carers Charter is a range of principles that an organisation can sign up to when supporting unpaid carers.
This Charter is being hosted by us and has been coproduced with people who have lived experience of being an unpaid carer, offering the opportunity for organisations to come together, sign up and show their intention to support unpaid carers in west Cheshire.
By signing up to this Charter, you’re agreeing that unpaid carers can expect a level of support and engagement from you.
Who can be an unpaid carer
A carer can be anybody of any age caring unpaid for a friend or family member who, through illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, needs additional support.
Examples of unpaid carers can include:
- a child up to the age of 18
- any adult aged 18 or over
- a person working, training for work or studying full-time or part-time
- a person who has retired, perhaps because of their caring role
- someone who isn’t in employment, perhaps because of their caring role
- a parent caring for a child who is ill, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems
- someone who has a care need or disability themselves that might be visible or hidden
We recognise that a carer can be anyone and anyone can become a carer at some point in their life.
What we want to do
- identify carers at the earliest opportunity
- help make sure all age carers are independent and maintain positive physical health and mental wellbeing
- empower and support all carers to manage their caring roles and maintain a life outside caring
- make sure all carers receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place
- respect all carers’ right to decide and choose how much care they will provide and respect their decision about not providing care at all
- make sure carers are recognised by organisations and professionals as experts in the caring role through their own experiences
How we try to do this
All organisations and professionals will agree to working towards:
- providing clear and suitable communication to unpaid carers
- including carers in the decisions about the person they care for
- offering carers the opportunity to provide input and help design services they’re involved in
- empowering carers to have a voice and control about their caring role and get the advocacy and support they and the person they care for need
- making sure carers are informed, respected and included all along their caring journey by health and social care professionals, providers and organisations
- supporting carers to be socially connected and not isolated
- encouraging carers to focus on their own physical health and mental wellbeing
How you can get involved
Any organisations wanting to work towards these principles can sign up to the Carers Charter online.
A PDF version of the Carers Charter is also available for those who might want to print out copies to put up in their services or community buildings.