Anne Meader, a carer from Hampshire shares her success
18 December 2007
Anne Meader has had 17 year's experience caring for family members. She's not stood back but has used her knowledge and know-how to help other carers, and professionals to improve local services. She talks about what she's done and how to get change.
What kinds of things have you done to get services for carers improved in Hampshire?
Carers Together
I was heavily involved with setting up a support organisation for carers in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. Carers Together is an independent charity affiliated to Carers UK. We work with other groups and organisations to maximise carers support including Carers UK Portsmouth. The committee is all carers or former carers and we have over 2,000 members. We have volunteers and staff and offer carers helpful advice, information, advocacy, signposting to other services, free training and a carers active listening line open from 9am to 11pm 365 days per year. We also run a support service for carers needing a break
Carers Forum
I also sit on a carers and service users forum which has been very influential, particularly on the way carers and service users are consulted locally - - we produced codes of conduct for involvement and consultation for
use by social services and other professionals. One of the real benefits of being involved in this group is learning to appreciate others views and respect each other.
Southampton Hospital Patients group
I am also the Chair of a patient/ user group for Southampton Hospital. We've had a major say in the way that unscheduled care [A& E, emergency medicine] is organised - such as carparking, the role of carers - which has been particularly useful to ward staff. We consider issues raised by patients and carers from unsheduled care which includes medicine and emergency admissions and work together with staff to improve things such as car parking, catering, cleaning. We have produced an ionformation booklet for patients and relatives to help them know what to expect.
Training social workers
Last but not least, I take part in activities at three universities to help train social work students including talking about my experiences as a carer and carers' needs and issues.
What advice would you give other carers thinking of getting involved in local services?
You really can make a difference, especially if you get involved in as many groups as you have time for. It's easy to complain. It's not so easy to try and change things. But it does have an effect.
You shouldn't feel guilty if you don't have time to attend meetings and take part. Every little helps. If you're part of a group it can be really effective to take it in turns to represent carers at forums etc. If you have a committee, then its useful to allocate tasks to different roles. Share the burden - it becomes much more achievable and fun!
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