Reaching out to carers in Lancashire

The problem of how to help carers who do not identify themselves as carers is often challenging for many councils. 

In Lancashire, thanks to the efforts of carer campaigners like Norman Gardner  Lancaster District Council appears to be prepared to include a questionaire asking those households who receive annual rating expenditiure information, to state if anyone in the household cares for a family member or neighbour. This will be a major breakthrough in getting help and services to carers who have been struggling alone and unsupported.

Norman is hopeful that this success "takes us one step nearer to identifying all carers, with the objective of making them aware of the help available to them"  He reflects on how this apparent change of policy came about - "many months of patient lobbying - we also provided the council with statistics on local carers. And electioneering." Norman stood as a candidate in the recent local elections and previously in a by-election. 

You can read more about Norman's election experience - more....

Keep Counting Carers Campaign

Keeping an audit of carers - both nationally and locally is vital to meeting carers needs and providing them with support.  The question on carers which was included for the first time in the last 2001 Census led to important information being uncovered about national and local trends, so that support services could be put in place.  Now there is doubt over whether this question will be included in the next Census. 

Carers UK has launched a campaign to encourage all carers to write to ltheir local MP and the officials responsible for the Census to make sure the question stays in. Find out how you can get involved in the campaign - more...