Bus gears up for South Warwickshire’s carers
A special campaign bus has been travelling around South Warwickshire on a quest to reach thousands of hidden carers.
With over 50,000 carers in Warwickshire, only an estimated 10% seek help from social care or external carers’ support services because they take their role for granted. So rather than wait for the carers to come to them, Warwickshire County Council came up with the unique way of finding them.
The liveried bus has taken to the streets to promote the services that are available to carers and recently made a stop at one of the South Warwickshire Carers Support Service meetings at the Falcon Hotel in Stratford.
The county council is prioritising carers and its commitments to them include helping carers to get breaks with complete peace of mind, assisting them in establishing an emergency plan to meet their needs, enabling them to pursue education or training and support them in remaining in, or returning to, work.
Dr Graeme Betts, strategic director for Adult, Health and Community Services, at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Carers play an integral role in keeping people out of hospital which enables health service budgets and local authorities’ care budgets to go further."
“We want to reach as many carers as possible and we are taking our message directly to the communities where these people live. “
Carer Pamela Barnacle who lives in Stratford added: “Getting in touch with South Warwickshire Carers Support turned my life around. Carers can feel very isolated and don’t realise that they are entitled to support. I hope the bus helps people take the opportunity to find out about the help available.”
The carers’ bus has been touring South Warwickshire for the last three months. It will tour the rest of the county until next summer and is expected to drive down 16,000 streets and cover 19,000 miles in a year.
For more information about carers log onto http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/carers