Free, accessible tool to provide advice, information and support to carers across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
Four local authorities in South Yorkshire have launched Carer Connect, a new digital assistant to help more people recognise their roles as unpaid carers and access support to which they are entitled.
Photo by Matheus Ferrero / Unsplash
An estimated 140,000 people provide unpaid care to a family member or friend across South Yorkshire. Many do not see recognise themselves as ‘carers’ as such, and are not known to local authority services.
That’s a serious concern given that research consistently shows that carers experience higher rates of poor health, financial hardship and social isolation than the general population.
The new Carer Connect site aims to tackle this. It can answer questions and provide clear advice on local services, financial support, carers’ legal rights and ways to look after personal health and well-being. The tool is fully accessible. Questions can be asked and answered in any language.
Developed by the local authorities for Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, it brings together trusted information, guidance and support in one place, to help people balance their caring responsibilities with work and family life. It has been designed for people who have never accessed support before, as well as those already known to local authority services.
Carer Connect has been designed in partnership with local carer communities and is free to use, requires no referral and is built to fit around carers’ busy and often unpredictable lives. It is available 24/7 through WhatsApp.
GPs, social workers, hospital discharge teams and community organisations across South Yorkshire are encouraged to direct carers to the tool as part of routine practice.
Cllr Stan Bryan, Cabinet Spokesperson for Adult Social Care and Integrated Health at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, says: ‘Unpaid carers are often the invisible backbone of our health and care system, and it’s vital that we do more to support them. Carer Connect is about making sure no one in Barnsley has to face that role alone, with support available at any time, not just during office hours. By helping people access the right information at the right time, we can make it easier to tackle challenges early on and ensure carers have the tools and support they need to look after themselves, their families, and the person they care for.’
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