Carers’ Centre Strategy
2014-2017
Contents
Page 3 Background
Page 5 Aims and Objectives
Page 7 Methods
Page 8 Funding
Page 9 Evaluation, Accountability and Governance
Page 10 Strategic Plan 2014
Background
The Carers’ Centre (CC) is an independent carers’ organisation and member of the Carers Trust (The Trust). We provide development, support and involvement services for carers in Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) and have been working with and for carers since 1994. Throughout all work that CC undertakes carers are at the centre. This strategy consolidates the work that has been done to ensure the Carers’ Centre is the leading organisation for supporting carers across B&NES.
CC adopts the definition of a carer stated in Carers at the heart of the 21st century families and communities “A caring system on you side. A life of your own”
‘A carer spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to family or potentially friends. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.’ pg 19
Nationally:
1 in 8 adults (around 6.5 million people) are carers.
· By 2037, it's anticipated that the number of carers will increase to 9 million
· Every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility - that equals over 2 million people each year.
· 58% of carers are women and 42% are men
· Over 1 million people care for more than one person
Carers save the economy £119 billion per year, an average of £18,473 per carer
· Over 3 million people juggle care with work, however the significant demands of caring mean that 1 in 5 carers are forced to give up work altogether.
· The main carer's benefit is £59.75for a minimum of 35 hours, equivalent to £1.71 per hour - far short of the national minimum wage of £6.19 per hour
People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled
· 625,000 people suffer mental and physical ill health as a direct consequence of the stress and physical demands of caring.
· Over 1.3 million people provide over 50 hours of care per week
Young carers and young adult carers
· Young carers and young adult carers
· 13,000 of the UK’s young carers care for over 50 hours a week.
· Following a survey in 2010, the BBC estimated that there are 700,000 young carers in the UK.
· Young adult carers aged between 16 and 18 years are twice as likely to be not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
· In total there are 290,369 carers in the UK who are aged 16–24.
Locally:
The 2011 Census showed that in Bath & North East Somerset there were 17,585 people providing unpaid care and support (10% of 2011 population), 71% of who provide between 1-19 hours or care, 11% of who provide 20-49 hours per week and 18% of who provide more than 50 hours’ care per week.
There are approximately 6,000 new carers each year in B&NES – that’s a 37% turnover.
We are in contact with over 15% of carers in B&NES at any one time over 400 of these are young carers aged between 5-18. Just over half of these are carers of older frail people or older people with dementia. Over 20% of the carers known to us are either in full or part time employment.
We make contact with over 1000 new carers per annum. Over half are self referred. As carers caring role ends we offer to provide them with 6 months support and then they are able to take a different role in the organisation if they would like to stay involved such as volunteering, becoming a member or a supporter.
Aims and Objectives
CC aim is to support B&NES to reach the 2018 aims of the Governments Carers’ Strategy: Carers at the heart of the 21st Century to ensure
· carers will be respected as expert care partners and will have access to the integrated and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role;
· carers will be able to have a life of their own alongside their caring role;
· carers will be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship by their caring role;
· carers will be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity;
· children and young people will be protected from inappropriate caring and have the support they need to learn, develop and thrive, to enjoy positive childhoods and to achieve against all the Every Child Matters outcomes.
CC will achieve this by working in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations to achieve our strategic aims which are:
· Development: Identify carers through our development work which involves outreach roadshows, training sessions for professionals and students.
· Support: Provide access to a range of services and information in response to their needs through our support work which involves Carers’ Assessment Support Planning, Emergency Planning, Breaks, Training for carers, Support Groups, Counselling and Befriending.
· Involvement: Give carers a “collective voice” through our involvement work which includes carers talking to the media, training professionals and students.
· Sustainable Organisation: Maintain Carers’ Centre as a sustainable organisation through strong management, fundraising and governance structures.
We will do this through our strategic aims
1. Development
a) To create new and innovative ways of identifying and working with carers such as outreach roadshows.
b) Improve practice of professionals in working with carers through training.
2. Support
c) To continue to develop appropriate services that support carers physical and mental well-being such as breaks.
d) Be recognised as the leading co-ordinator of support services for carers locally.
e) Enable carers to have choice and control over the services they need.
f) Ensuring young carers are protected from inappropriate or harmful caring roles.
3. Involvement
g) Empower carers to have a voice in the planning and delivery of services in B&NES and the CC.
h) Promote and support carers to be recognised as expert care partners.
i) Lead an ongoing, proactive campaign for carers rights locally and nationally
4. Sustainable Organisation
j) Diversify our funding and asset base to ensure sustainable growth.
k) Continue to act as a model employer within the charity sector and recruit and support a thriving volunteer team.
l) To ensure quality standards, policies and procedures are appropriate to meet local and national standards such as PQASSO.
m) Fulfil our promises and measure our achievements.
These aims do not replace specific targets in contracts or funding bids. They are a strategic over view of the organisation and provide a future direction for CC.
As national changes in legislation and policy are implemented the CC recognises their role to be proactive in supporting carers in managing the effects of these changes such as changes to benefits and the Health and Social Care Act
Methods
CC staff capacity is 20 staff, some of these staff are part time, the full time equivalent would be 17 full time staff. Staff are supported by a hard working and dedicated team of over 60 volunteers.
The proportion of staff time on the different areas is;
59% support
28% development
13% involvement
Whilst staff time on involvement is low the ethos of CC is to ensure carers are involved throughout the organisation at every level and to ensure carers voices are heard in developing services externally.
Staff work in 5 different teams which spend a varying amount of time supporting carers, developing the reach of CC to identify more carers and involving carers to improve the services of CC and the local services offered by other providers in the local area. The business plan is written to cover these different areas
Funding
The CC strategy is to grow it’s funding from external sources other than the Local Authority by 5% each year. Currently external funding is 35% for revenue costs. During the course of the strategy it is planned to make external funding 50% of the CC overall revenue funding mix making the CC much less vulnerable to funding cuts by the Local Authority.
In addition to revenue fundraising the Carers’ Centre will be launching a capital fundraising appeal to buy a building. Separate funders who are specifically interested in capital fundraising will be identified to compliment rather than compete with the revenue fundraising.
Raising funds can bring with it issues of capacity for an organisation. It is essential that issues of capacity are being considered at all levels of CC. Funding is not guaranteed even with a robust strategy. It is necessary that CC is realistic with staff and carers that not all funding will continue. This will be done in an open and honest approach. There will be clear communication as to which funding is being sought and whether it has been successful. Where this effects a person’s job the staff member(s) it will affect will be contacted first before it is made more widely known.
A diverse set of methods of funding will be used to find funding. This will build on existing structures and explore new methods. Listed below are the varied methods of gaining funds CC will continue to use and expand:
· Statutory funding
· Charitable trusts and foundations
· Companies – sponsorship, payroll giving, employee volunteering
· Giving and public fundraising
· Community speeches to local clubs and businesses and local events
· Online giving
· Legacy Giving
· Trading – rental of space, training fees, sale of goods
· Donations and gifts
· Tax effective giving – gift aid, payroll giving
· In Kind Donations
· Events with raffles
· Bags for Sport
· Sponsored events
· Funding Bids
· Tin rattling e.g. Street collections
· Celebrity Backing
· Using press releases to ask for funding
· Raising awareness with politicians
· Become other organisations designated charity
· Using a freelance fundraiser
Evaluation
The strategy will be reviewed annually by the CEO, trustees and staff to evaluate its effectiveness. The strategic plan will be a live document which will drive the decisions of CC. The CEO will have responsibility to ensure it is updated annually as a minimum. This will ensure the plan is being put into action and time scales are being met. These updates will be reviewed by staff at staff meetings and by quarterly at Management Committee Meetings. The CEO will present the updates at these meetings.
Accountability
In order to ensure the strategy is embedded and strategic plan is put into action a number of people will be involved. These will include:
· CEO
· Trustees
· Staff
· Volunteers
· Partner agencies
· Members
The CEO will have ultimate responsibility for leading the strategic aims and ensuring the strategic plan will be put into action.
Governance
CC is committed to increasing membership over this strategy to ensure wider involvement in the governance of the organisation.
CC is committed to high quality governance and recruits and supports trustees to govern the organisation and fulfil the strategy. To ensure succession trustees where possible give 12 months notice of resignation to enable time to recruit new trustees into post. The Board has specifically designated roles for the Chair, Vice Chair and the Treasurer. Where trustees in these roles are resigning, the Board will try to recruit an existing trustee into post where possible to give them time to shadow the role holder. The existing trustees will be asked if they would like to take the post or nominate someone. Nominations will go to the Chair. The Chair will contact trustees to discuss the post and those who are interested will be voted by the Board to be co-opted into the role and at AGM the members will vote to appoint them. The post of Vice Chair will be appointed with the understanding that if the Chair resigns they would take the role of Chair with 12 months shadowing where possible. This enables the Chair role to be filled by an existing trustee to ensure continuity. Trustees are able to take request sabbaticals in order to retain expertise where trustees need time out from their role but would like to continue as a trustee. Trustees have an annual appraisal which is used to develop and support trustees.
2
Strategic Plan 2014-5
Development
Strategic Aims / Output / Outcome / By When / By Whom1A / Engagement / 7,000 people contacted with up-to-date information about breaks, support and advice;
Identification of new carers / 31/03/14 / SCEO, CEO, Volunteers, Carers
1A 1B 2D / Outreach Roadshows / 250 events
Identification of hidden Carers / 31/03/14 / SCEO, CEO, Volunteers, Carers, all staff
1A 1B 2D / Outreach Roadshows:
Referral Pathways / Identify Hidden Carers; 3,500 carers engaged / 5 per week until 31/03/14 / SCEO, CEO, Volunteers, Carers
1A 1B 2D / Outreach Roadshows:
Carer Leads & Carer Champions / Identification of hidden carers; 3,500 carers engaged / One per month 31/03/14 / SCEO, CEO, Volunteers, Carers
1A 1B 2C 2D 2F / Outreach Roadshows:
Referral Pathways / 500 Young Carers engaged / At least one per 1 per agency; 31/03/14 / SYCO, YCO, Sessional Workers, Volunteers, Young Carers, Agencies
1A 1B 2F / 800 professionals with info packs and training / Improve awareness and understanding of young carers / 31/03/14
31/03/14
31/03/14 / YC Team, Engagement Team,Comms
Support
2C / 500 carers will take a break each year / Improved health and well-being, skills and engagement for carers / 31/03/14 / Breaks Team, Comms
& Volunteer Coordinator
2C 3H / 200 carers will gain training each year / Improved health and well-being, skills, engagement and employment for carers / 31/03/14 / Breaks Team
2C / 17 carers will gain paid employment or self-employment each year / Improved health and well-being, skills, engagement and employment for carers / 31/03/14 / Breaks Team
2C / 200 carers will receive a health check each year / Improved health and well-being and engagement in the community / 31/03/14 / B&NES Community Activator Service
2C 2F / 50 family members will take a break each year / Improved health and well-being and engagement in the community / 31/03/14 / Breaks Team and YC Team
2C / 200 people engaging in inter-generational events each year / Increased inter-generational engagement in the local community / 31/03/14 / Break Team, YC Team and Engagement Team
1A 1B 2C 2D 2E 2F / Support in schools / Young carers are happier and more supported in school / 31/03/14 / YC Team, Volunteer Manager
2C 2F / 12 events and 1 residential for each age group 4 family events and 1 accredited programme
Regular youth club / Young carers are socially engaged and feel refreshed and able to continue caring through an accessible breaks programme / 31/03/14 / YC Team, Breaks Team,
Artist in residence,
Volunteer Coordinator,
YC Team
2C 2D 2E / 800 carer’s assessments delivered annually / Improve carer’s lives.
Deliver quality and consistent information.
Prioritisation of carers with high needs to respond in a timely way. / 31/03/14 / Carers Support Team
Engagement Team
Young Carers Team
2C 2E / 800 emergency cards issued / Improve support in emergencies for carers / 31/03/14 / Business Support Team
Carers Support Team
2C / Support 80 carer’s in crisis / Prevent breakdown in caring situations through intensive crisis support for 6 weeks. / 31/03/14 / Carers Support Team
2C 2E / Speak to 750 carers / Improve carer’s lives.
Triage carers based on need.
Quality and consistent low level support for carers. / 31/03/14 / Carers Support Team
Involvement