Kingston Carers’ Network is the voluntary sector strategic lead for carers and aims to provide a voice for young and adult carers supporting someone in the borough. It is vital that we are aware of the issues that matter to carers and to share these with decision making bodies. We have been voicing carers’ concerns about issues such as Carers’ Breaks funding and the need for more inclusion in local decisions. Please get in touch if you would like to raise any issues that affect you as a carer.
Carers Board
Kingston Council works closely with Kingston Carers' Network to organise the Kingston Carers Board. This Board is helping to deliver The Kingston All Age Carers Strategy, and brings together organisations that offer information and support services to unpaid carers in the borough. The Carers Board are always keen to hear from as many carers as possible.
Work with us to help design social care services for you and people you care about. Get involved and have your say by joining the Carers Board. We value the insights of people with lived experience, and we recognise them as ‘experts by experience’. An expert by experience is someone who has personal experience using health and social care services, including family members and carers. We want to partner with experts by experience to co-produce our services. Co-production means working together equally to design services and make decisions that work for everyone. It's based on the principle that people who use a service are best placed to help design it.
If you would like to join the Board or to find out more please email: adultscommissioning@kingtson.gov.uk or call 020 8547 5000.
Let's work together to make a positive difference.
Important issues raised by carers in the past:
- Health and wellbeing – including carers own mental health
- Changes to the services and support for the people they care for
- Reduced funds for statutory and voluntary organisations and what this means for carers
- Recognition from health and social care staff about the role of carers, to be respected and treated as partners in the care provided
- Appropriate and flexible ways for carers to take breaks
- Getting / staying in employment
- Financial matters
Kingston Mental Health Carers Forum
Kingston Mental Health Carers Forum (KMHCF) was formed in 2001 to support mental health carers who are often reluctant to make thier situation generally known. They routinely respond to telephone and emails contact from members and also hold monthly drop-in sessions at Tolworth Hospital for those visiting Lilacs Ward and Kingston Mental Health Service at the Acacia Unit. Membership of KMHCF is free and carers can participate as much or as little as they feel able. If you would like to find out more, you can visit the KMHCF website.