Sharon our Director recently attended a Wales Carers Assembly at the Senedd in Cardiff Bay which was sponsored by a number of MS’s. The event highlighted the many issues that carers face daily but also looked about the impact their caring responsibilities have on Health, Employment and Education.
Julie Morgan MS – Deputy Minister for Social Services explained that having been a carer herself she experienced first-hand the challenges that unpaid carers face. She outlined the Programmes that ministers had put in place including short break schemes to enable carers to have respite and a break from caring.
The Carers support scheme has provided assistance to over 26,000 carers who are on low income. A Task & Finish group has also been set up to ensure that carers have the correct information about Carers assessment at the right time and receive support with this process. Alongside this there has been a work programme established to ensure that there are resources and training available to GP’s, Pharmacies, health boards and Local Authority partners.
The event also included several panel discussions around the State of Caring report that Carers Wales held during 2023, with over 1,100 people responding. The report highlighted that there are over 400,000 unpaid carers in Wales from a wide range of ages.
It was also important to recognise the role of young carers and the impact that their caring responsibility had on their education and future plans. Some young carers who attended the event felt that schools and colleges could do more to recognise the role Young carers have and to provide more emotional support while also providing support with academic work.
The event ended with a tour of the Senedd and a relaxing and delicious hot chocolate in their coffee shop. Sharon is looking forward to continuing to raise awareness of the important work that unpaid carers do now and in the future.
