Carers charter

Our commitments to working together

The following commitments are set out in our carers charter. The charter was created by our carers working group.

Our commitment to you

• We will give you a named person to contact.
• We will listen and value the expert knowledge you have and work with you to provide quality care.
• We will include you in any decisions about the person you care for and where this is not possible we will explain why.
• We will support and listen to you and provide clear accessible information to help you care.
• We will respect confidentiality of personal information from you and the person you care for.
• We will train our staff to understand and respect the essential role you play in the person’s care and recovery.
• We will actively involve you in service planning and development.

Please help us

• Work with us to provide personalised care and treatment for the person you care for.
• Share your experiences and history of the person you care for to help us provide effective care.
• Help us understand your own needs so we can support your health and wellbeing.
• Trust us to share with our colleagues as necessary the personal information you provide to improve the care we give.
• Respect that staff will listen but may not always be able to answer personal questions about the person you care for.
• Use the information we provide for carers to understand your rights and how we can work together.
• Help us develop better integrated, more joined up services that meet the needs of everyone.

If you feel you are not being listened to, or not being supported, please talk to your loved one’s care team or contact our Complaints Team on 0800 052 0219.

How the charter was developed

Our carers charter was developed to make sure carers and families are involved in their loved one’s care from day one with their knowledge and experience of the patient taken into account.

It was developed by our carers working group. The group brings together carers to talk about carers’ needs and to see where improvements can be made to better support and work with carers.

The charter encourages carers and staff to work together to provide the best possible care. It lists a range of commitments that carers can expect when involved in the care and treatment of their relative or friend. This includes being involved in decision making about care and treatment, receiving information about services and having the opportunity to help develop personalised care plans.

The charter also highlights how a carer can share their knowledge and experience of the patient’s condition. In addition, the charter asks carers to share their experiences and feelings to make sure our staff can support their health and wellbeing.

When the charter was first launched, carers in the working group agreed that they hope the charter gives carers a voice in the care and treatment of their relatives and that staff recognise the essential long-term role carers play and work together with them while understanding that carers need support too.

As well as making sure we care for our patients, it is vitally important that we also support the wellbeing of those who care for them. We want to help carers feel able to cope with caring. Being a carer can be a challenging role which entails a mix of emotions, unique and individual to the carer. As well as being busy caring for someone else, carers have the rest of their daily lives to go about and this can be tough and demanding.

Elizabeth Moody, director of nursing and governance