Carers Week and the Benefits of Online Duty of Care Training
Social care in the UK has been under mounting pressure for some time now. Those who work tirelessly to improve the lives of others often earn little more than minimum wage — one of the factors in the continued loss of care workers across the country. With the continued decline of our social care sector, it’s as important as ever to support those in our community who are providing care for family or friends.
Often unpaid, these carers provide a vital lifeline within society, which three out of four of them feel is undervalued or overlooked by their peers. That is why Carers Week holds even more importance in 2017. To try and help these carers across the country, Carers Week is focusing on “building carer friendly communities”. The aim is to support carers who look after loved ones while showing recognition for the fact they have needs of their own.
Carers Week For Carer Friendly Communities
While old age is not the sole reason people require care, the increase in life expectancy in the UK will undoubtedly have an effect on the number of adults requiring care. As we saw in the campaigning for the general election, social care was included in the major political back-and-forths within the campaign. While there is no doubt that services in the UK are in need of investment, we cannot lose sight of those who care for loved ones without any support.
This year, Carers Week has been promoting the difficult situations unpaid carers find themselves in. A recent study showed that carers who felt they lacked support by their community were between two and three times less likely to have a healthier relationship with their care responsibilities. Problems with mental health, finances, social life and reaching out for support were all listed as the main barriers people faced while providing care.
Fortunately, a number of charities have teamed up in the hope of making seeking support easier. It’s possible to contact any of them to discuss how they can help you to continue to provide care for your loved ones. With specialist experience in a range of fields, those advocating Carers Week have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.
Online Duty of Care Training: Supporting Carers in their Role
Much of the EduCare for Health: Health & Social Care package is directly relevant in this situation. Online duty of care training aims to empower learners to feel more confident in their abilities. By providing a solid foundation of skills, online duty of care training could be harnessed to help support carers around the country.
While it may not directly harbour community relationships, the results of successful training can offer assurance to learners. Experts suggest that confidence and stress are connected with one another. Increasing your confidence can have a positive effect on reducing stress (and stress-related illnesses). Carers who are supported by
Unfortunately for most, investing in safeguarding training is an unachievable target. While the 6.8 million unpaid carers save the UK up to £132 billion, many of them are unable to work because of their responsibilities. This is why raising awareness is of such essential importance. Carers Week provides a platform to promote a very underappreciated part of society; one that we could not do without. By showing appreciation and helping to create carer friendly communities, we can remove some of the pressure involved for unpaid carers.
