Putting Carers into the Heart of Dorset

Pat Vinycomb

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Why Carers Matter

• You are the experts in caring• Your health and wellbeing matters• The person you care for matters• You deserve the best • Efficient services and support that

are coordinated, family centred and delivered locally

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SupportingCarers to express

their views

Who is listening to you?

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Creating a dynamic voice for Carers

• Dismantle the barriers to involvement – “Think Local”

• Recognise the constraints of caring• Capture views and experiences• “Think Carer”

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How can you influence the design of local services for Carers?

• You are experts by experience• Services should make a positive

difference to the lives of people using them

• Local knowledge – added value

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Dorset Carers working together to help organisations to put Carers and their families at the centre of what they do.

• Better access to information, advocacy and peer support• Real time feedback through

engagement and consultation

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The way forward for Dorset Carers’ voices

• Interagency locality model • Central hub• Free flow of information• Single point of access• Shared identity

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Think Caraere

Think Carer