Sussex Carers Partnership
As part of the Sussex Carers Partnership, a group of three main carers support organisations in Sussex, we've been working together for many years on activities to help unpaid carers and highlight the health inequalities and barriers they face because of their caring duties.
Comments from Carers
“What a lovely celebration it was! I really enjoyed that women from across the world were engaging with each other, cooking, dancing, and feasting together in this fabulously informal event. It’s how International Women’s Day should be! I also loved the way that small but beautiful traditions were eased in, such as the flowers being given at the end, a small but beautiful gesture from Lithuania. What a simple yet thoughtful take away.” – International Women’s Day Event Feedback, East Sussex, March 2024.
Group of women preparing dumplings. Location: East Sussex
Making Carers Count: Supporting Ethnically Diverse Carers – March 2024
We recognised that carers have their own unique experiences. However, some carers from ethnically diverse backgrounds are more likely than White British carers to find that local services and support do not meet their needs appropriately. This includes the challenge of finding services that reflect their cultural and/or spiritual needs, as well as the needs of their loved ones. Language can also be a barrier for some, leading to difficulty in discovering services that can help.
Understanding that the absence of awareness about available support options leaves many carers unable to make informed decisions about their caring situation. Therefore, the Making Carers Count Project, funded by Carers Trust, concentrated on providing support to adult carers (aged 18+) from ethnically diverse backgrounds living in Sussex. The project was delivered between October 2021 – March 2024.
Read our ‘Making Carers Count – End of Project Report, April 2024’
Unpaid Carers: Hospital Discharge Process - March 2024
In the final quarter of 2023, the Sussex Carers Partnership was commissioned by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to assess the implementation status of the carer-informed recommendations outlined in the Spring Carer Engagement Report of 2021 (referenced below). Additionally, we were tasked with gathering feedback from carers regarding the hospital discharge process for the person they support.
Read our report ‘Unpaid Carers Insights – Hospital Discharge Process, March 2024’
COVID 19 – Carers’ Healthcare Experiences – March 2021
As part of the Sussex Carers Partnership, we conducted research commissioned by the Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to understand carers’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings and six carer-informed recommendations were shared in a webinar on March 24, 2021, attended by carers, NHS, CCG, and local Commissioning Managers.
The recommendations sparked debate, with the Research Report seen as a catalyst for change. Moving forward, the NHS and CCG need to explore the feasibility of implementing these recommendations across Sussex promptly. We extend our gratitude to The Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove and Care for Carers (East Sussex) for their collaboration on this project, as well as to the family and friend carers who generously contributed their time.
You can read the full report ‘Research into Sussex Carers Experiences of Healthcare, 2021’, as well as the ‘Summary of Discussions from Webinar, March 2021’.
Useful Resources for Professionals
Carer Awareness Training
Collaborating closely with our Sussex Carers Reference Group, we’ve crafted a comprehensive Carer Awareness Training module titled ‘Making Carers Count’. This module is specifically tailored to identify and support carers from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
This training is provided free of charge and is available to all health and social care professionals. To enrol, simply create a user account on our e-learning platform.
Visit our e-learning site to get started.
Posters and Postcards
Download our ‘Do you look after someone who needs your help? A4 Poster. Available in 16 languages.
Click on the language required to view/download the translated poster.
Arabic | English | Farsi | Gujarati | Kurdish| Pashto| Polish | Portuguese | Romanian | Simplified Chinese (used in mainland China) | Traditional Chinese (used in Macau, Hong Kong & Taiwan) | Spanish | Tamil | Turkish | Ukrainian | Urdu
Easy Read Version of Our Registration Form
Please email completed forms to your local carers support organisation.
Directory of Contacts for Local Support
We therefore encourage you as staff, volunteers, network partners and carer to recommend services you may be aware of for inclusion by our Carer Engagement Team at carerengagement@carerssupport.org.uk
Group of people holding their Dementia Friend Certificates. Location: Guild Care, Worthing.
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