Over Surgery and Swavesey Surgery have been awarded the Carer Friendly Tick Health award as a result of to the work they have in place to support people who are carers.
With three in five of us likely to be a carer at some stage in our lives, more and more organisations in our communities are recognising the importance of identifying and supporting carers of all ages. As part of its work Caring Together is helping them to do this, and is recognising the good work done through awarding the Carer Friendly Tick.
Practice manager for Swavesey and Over Surgeries, Lorna Gardiner, said, “We are delighted to receive the Carer Friendly Tick Award at Over Surgery and Swavesey Surgery as we believe that caring for someone is an important and valuable role in the community, it is often a 24-hour job that can be very demanding and isolating for the carer.
“Caring takes its toll and can have an impact upon the carer’s own health.
“If a carer’s health suffers, the person they are caring for suffers too which is why identifying our carers is important so that we can offer them support and guidance.
“We provide information on how to contact Caring Together, support groups, coffee mornings and other services.
“We also invite our carers to make an annual appointment for a health review with the practice nurse to discuss any concerns they have.”
Andy McGowan, business development and communities manager at Caring Together, said, “It was great for us to hear how the surgeries understand the importance of carers, and also the demands that come with caring for a loved one.
“We are delighted they have received the Carer Friendly Tick Award. We look forward to seeing more carers benefit from their work and working with them to support the carers from both surgeries.
“We hope that other health organisations, schools, colleges, universities, businesses and community groups will follow their lead in identifying and supporting carers. As the number and awareness of carers grows this will be ever more important.
“We are here to help them in putting appropriate measures in place. As the number and range of Carer Friendly Tick Award holders has grown it has been excellent to see how each has taken actions in ways that are suitable for them and their carers.”
The Carer Friendly Tick Awards have been developed by Caring Together’s Norfolk Young Carers Forum (NYCF), which is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The awards saw a range of schools, colleges and universities achieving the Carer Friendly Tick in recognition of their work to identify and support carers. This meant the awards have now been rolled out across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk, and widened to include education, community, health and employer awards. These recognise the valuable work done in identifying and supporting carers carried out by organisations in these sectors
For more information about Caring Together visit www.caringtogether.org or to find out more about the Carer Friendly Tick Award click here, alternatively you can email [email protected]
