1 December 2008 Good Evening

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Developing a carers network No Limits, Somerset

Summary

No Limits have worked alongside carers in Somerset to develop the role of Carers Representative and improve pathways to learning and employment. Whilst the role of Carers Representative is not a new one, they have found that a systematic approach (including training) is essential to prevent tokenism.

Description

No Limits is a training partnership, based in Yeovil (Somerset). They undertook a consultation project aimed at giving carers a voice. Through running participatory events, and café style workshops, they have developed the notion of "True Participation". This challenges the lack of training available for the role of carers representative, enabling them to sit around the table as equals. The resulting employers pack and accredited training will provide a structure for this, in addition to improving pathways to further education and/or employment.

The second aspect of No Limits work is around the issues of carers’ recovery, learning and employment. This focuses on the carer’s own needs, helping them identify their own goals and supporting them in reaching them. This has meant anything from running Christmas card making workshops to providing an IT training group. The supportive environment at the No Limits centre has enabled carers to escape from their role for a while and devote some time to themselves. No Limits continues to hold a range of workshops and skills sharing events to further this aim.

Outcomes

• In conjunction with carers in Somerset, No Limits has produced an employers pack for True Carer Representation including a Job Description and Personal Specification
• No Limits has won the ‘Opening Doors To Adult Learners’ award, for supporting people who are ‘hard to reach’ by conventional training
• They have developed effective participatory methods, engaging carers in a variety of creative ways (including café style workshops and skills sharing events).
• Carers speak very highly of No Limits, citing their flexible and positive approach as being key to their success
• By focussing on the carers needs, rather than the cared for, No Limits has provided a space for carers to be a person again.
• Over the course of the project No Limits has finally begun to gain acceptance and acknowledgement from existing carers support networks.
• No Limits have produced a CD Rom (available on their website) containing information on recovery, learning and employment

Themes/Issues

• It’s hard to reach the ‘unknown’ carers. Many people don’t identify themselves as carers when they are looking after loved ones.
• Some carers were initially sceptical about involvement with a carers organisation & training, feeling that this would be focussed on the cared for. It is important to emphasise that this is not the case.
• A key ingredient to No Limits approach is to let the carers lead the way with regards to what they offer. It’s truly person-centred, in that the only agenda is providing an environment where carers can grow in confidence and skills.
• No Limits found language and terminology to be very important. They developed participatory events, as opposed to consultation events, as the latter has begun to have negative associations. Participation is about steering the course of decisions right from the start, whilst consultation can infer that decisions have already been made.
• Whilst the initial approach of engaging directly with carers is sound, No Limits ran into resistance with existing agencies/networks. This highlights the difficulty of small independent groups working on the edge of the mainstream, and the importance of ensuring existing agencies feel included.
• No Limits has found employers outside of care and social services hard to reach. Whilst they have had some success with ‘breakfast mornings’, this is an area that needs further development.
• No Limits is a very small organisation which survives by offering a range of learning opportunities and work with carers is just one of its strands. This increases the sustainability of the project.
• No Limits relies on two main champions, who have the potential to become isolated and overworked. Both have mentor support from outside of the organisation.