putting the visible and valued into carers week june 2020
Never before has the role of the unpaid carer been more vital. Looking after people unable to support themselves, unpaid carers are working in the background to keep people safe, out of hospital, propping up the NHS and social care systems. They are doing it for love, with little recognition and with minimal support. Now more than ever their contribution should be recognised. We need unpaid carers to be visible and valued.
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We Care Campaign sign oxfam joint letter May 2020
We Care Campaign sign Oxfam joint letter to all politicians on care, poverty and the impact of coronavirus on the UK's unpaid carers.
"It felt like carers' contributions were totally below the radar before the pandemic, but now, behind closed doors, it feels like we're completely invisible."
Katy Styles in The Independent 06/05/20
Katy Styles in The Independent 06/05/20
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ADVOCATING FOR unpaid carers AT THE GENERAL ELECTION december 2019
We Care published our election asks for unpaid carers in the lead up to the snap 2019 General Election. We pored over political party manifestos and checked where their commitments aligned with our 5 points to value the UK's unpaid carers.
Our message was clear - unpaid carers cannot continue to be the sticking plaster for our underfunded health and social care systems. Check out our manifesto and how the parties measured up.
We Care founder Katy shares our sticking plaster campaign actions here.
Our message was clear - unpaid carers cannot continue to be the sticking plaster for our underfunded health and social care systems. Check out our manifesto and how the parties measured up.
We Care founder Katy shares our sticking plaster campaign actions here.
Carers Strategy
Carers deserve their own national Carers Strategy. They provide the equivalent of £132 billion in care a year.
Create a fair Carers Allowance
Carers Allowance is currently £66.15 a week. It is the lowest benefit amount of its kind.
Take action to address the social care crisis
Support carers and those they care for with a plan for Social Care.
Make sure carers are identified and get support
The NHS sees carers and their cared for daily. They could identify all unpaid carers as a priority.
Ensure adequate money for carers' breaks
Increase monies available for carers to take the breaks they need.
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unpaid carers speech at Labour Party Conference September 2019
We Care Campaign advocate Rachael Martin-Smith took to the Labour Party 2019 Conference stage to address 1,000 delegates on behalf of the UK's unpaid carers. Points made included the £132 billion of savings provided annually to our economy by unpaid carers whilst being underrepresented and unrecognised. The speech received lots of support from the conference floor.
Watch her speech below: from 1:12:50
Watch her speech below: from 1:12:50
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putting the 'real' back into Carers Week June 2019
During Carers Week 10th June -16th June, 2019 the We Care Campaign highlighted unpaid carers experiences of caring for their family members and friends.
We Care policy asks were also promoted including our ongoing call for a National Carers Strategy and raising Carers Allowance (CA) to bring it in line with Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).
See our Carers Week highlights here
We Care policy asks were also promoted including our ongoing call for a National Carers Strategy and raising Carers Allowance (CA) to bring it in line with Job Seekers Allowance (JSA).
See our Carers Week highlights here
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Response to the Carers Strategy petition march 2019
Barbara Keeley MP received a response to the Carers Strategy petition from the Department of Health and Social Care:
.....towards the end of 2017 ministers took the decision not to go forward with publishing a National Carers Strategy so that carers could be considered as part of the forthcoming Green Paper on care and support. The Green Paper will be published at the earliest opportunity and will include a focus on how we support carers as part of a sustainable health and care system. In the meantime, in order to demonstrate how the Government was continuing to support informal (unpaid) carers, we published a Carers Action Plan on 5 June 2018. The Carers Action Plan sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years.
.....towards the end of 2017 ministers took the decision not to go forward with publishing a National Carers Strategy so that carers could be considered as part of the forthcoming Green Paper on care and support. The Green Paper will be published at the earliest opportunity and will include a focus on how we support carers as part of a sustainable health and care system. In the meantime, in order to demonstrate how the Government was continuing to support informal (unpaid) carers, we published a Carers Action Plan on 5 June 2018. The Carers Action Plan sets out a cross-Government programme of targeted work to support carers over the next two years.
"Individual carers, their families and supporters have been badly let down over the decision not to go forward with the Carers Strategy. Worse still is the government's hollow promise that carers will be considered as part of the Green Paper on care and support. Carers have sadly grown used to this repeated inaction and their issues being glossed over. The Green Paper has been repeatedly delayed from an original publication date of Summer 2017. We are still waiting..."It felt like carers' contributions were totally below the radar before the pandemic, but now, behind closed doors, it feels like we're completely invisible."
Katy Styles in The Independent 06/05/20
Katy Styles in The Independent 06/05/20
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carers rights day november 2018
On Carers Rights day 2018 cross party politicians including Sarah Champion MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Marsha de Cordova MP, Sir Roger Gale MP, Andrew Gwynne MP and Robert Halfon MP joined with the public to rally in support of unpaid carers across the UK.
See our twitter Moment here
See our twitter Moment here
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carers strategy petition presented to parliament november 2018
Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley and Eccles South and former Shadow Minister for Social Care and Mental Health presented the We Care Campaign petition for a carers strategy to parliament with 2,124 signatories.
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WE care CAMPAIGN LAUNCH EVENT
mAY 2018
mAY 2018
The We Care Campaign launch event took place in Canterbury, Kent. It was attended by unpaid carers, supporters and MP for Canterbury Rosie Duffield. Katy Styles shared her experiences as an unpaid carer and why she believes the estimate 7 million unpaid carers across the UK must come together to truly make themselves heard and feel valued by our Government decision makers.
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carers strategy consultation
mArch 2016
mArch 2016
In March 2016 carers were asked to contribute to a consultation, to inform government on the new Carers Strategy. 6,500 carers and carers support organisations, alongside charities contributed to the consultation.
Carers waited throughout 2017 when government announced that the Carers Strategy had been scrapped and a Carers Action Plan would replace it.
In January 2018, fed up with waiting the We Care Campaign was founded and launched an online petition. Its aim to get government to publish the long awaited Carers Strategy. The petition ran for 6 months, gaining support from carers support organisations, individual carers and decision makers.
A Carers Action Plan was finally published in June 2018.
But an Action Plan is not a Strategy.
Carers waited throughout 2017 when government announced that the Carers Strategy had been scrapped and a Carers Action Plan would replace it.
In January 2018, fed up with waiting the We Care Campaign was founded and launched an online petition. Its aim to get government to publish the long awaited Carers Strategy. The petition ran for 6 months, gaining support from carers support organisations, individual carers and decision makers.
A Carers Action Plan was finally published in June 2018.
But an Action Plan is not a Strategy.
