Carers Rights Day is TODAY, Thursday 24 November 2022
Whether you are a new carer or have been caring for someone for a while, we believe that it’s important that you understand your rights and are able to access the support that is available to you as soon as you need it. Many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support. Each year, Carers Rights Day helps us:
- ensure carers are aware of their rights
- let carers know where to get help and support
- raise awareness of the needs of carers.
You need to know your rights wherever you are in your caring journey: whether in the workplace, in a healthcare setting, when interacting with professionals or at home. This Carers Rights Day, we are supporting Carers UK to empower carers with information and support, so you can feel confident asking for what you need and know which local services can assist you if required. We also want you to know how to challenge things when your rights are not being met.
The theme for Carers Rights Day 2022 is Caring Costs to highlight the many ways caring impacts such as:
- cost to unpaid carers’ well-being and ability to access health services
- financial costs associated with looking after someone – or the effects on carers’ employment options.
- taking care of someone may cost carers the quality of their relationships, through not being able to take time out to spend with friends and family or through changes to the relationship with those they care for.
- the current cost of living crisis is being felt even more acutely by carers throughout the UK.
Read our latest article about the Cost of Caring locally, this has been sent out to local press to try to generate wider awareness.
What are Carers' Rights?
Since the implementation of the Care Act in 2015, carers now have more rights than ever before. The Act gave carers parity with the people they care for through new entitlements to an assessment of their needs, support to meet their eligible needs, and information and advice.
Be heard
Carers UK has produced a handy self-advocacy guide to support you to understand and implement your rights and have the confidence to speak out and be heard. Download the guide.
Don't forget there are plenty of local organisations waiting to listen and support you.
What is happening across the South Tees?
Carers Together's Carers Rights Day event.
We Care You Care have supported Carers Together's event today alongside many other local services that can support you to understand your rights and implement them. Click for more information.
We have had a fantastic morning meeting with local carers and networking with local service providers. If anyone would like a copy of the presentations from today's Carers Rights Day Event you can download them from the Carers Together website here.
Campaign Tools
We have produced images and text for six social media posts which we encourage local organisations to utilise. View and save images and text here.
ADASS has produced a toolkit to help local authorities to support the national campaign, download toolkit.
Carers UK tools:
Caring Costs graphics for social media- here.
All Carers UK's Carers Rights Day resources, including posters and logos, are available here.