Carers support service
A carer is anyone who looks after a family member, partner or friend because of their illness, frailty, disability, mental health, substance misuse or learning disability (NHS England).
Carers are unpaid and shouldn’t be confused with care workers or care assistants, who received payment for looking after someone.
A young carer is someone under the age of 18 whose life is restricted in some way by offering care, help and support to another person. Their protection and support is vital to ensure they can have all the opportunities that would be open to them if they weren’t undertaking this caring role.
Our carers strategy
Here at UHS, we have developed our carers support service across the Trust, in partnership with Southampton Hospitals Charity, to make sure that carers are fully supported, involved, and valued across all our services. At the beginning of 2021 we launched our new carers strategy to develop and improve the care and support we provide to unpaid carers whilst their cared-for person receives treatment at the Trust. Furthermore, in 2022 the Health and Care Act introduced an obligation for NHS trusts and foundation trusts to involve patients and carers (including young carers) in discharge planning.
In our strategy we set out to learn from organisations that get it right (including community and mental health NHS trusts, charities, and social care), and transfer that learning into an acute setting such as our hospital.
The service is funded by Southampton Hospitals Charity, which exists solely to make a difference to patients, families, and carers using UHS services. Funding this project through the charity is fully in line with the charity’s objectives and purposes.
Carers support service
Our carers service is run by a team of volunteers under the supervision of our carers lead. The support we provide include the following:
- We offer emotional support to carers by telephone or in person.
- We refer for carers assessment.
- We signpost to other support services in the community.
- We advocate for carers involvement in decision making in line with the Health and Care Act 2022.
- We support carers through complaint processes.
- We collect feedback on carers involvement.
Find out more in our leaflet below:
Contact us by sending an email to carersupport@uhs.nhs.uk. You can also register to volunteer with us.
Carers cafe
Do you know any unpaid carer or patients' next of kin who may require additional support during the hospital stay of those they care for? Please let them know about our weekly carers cafe.
A weekly drop in session is held each Wednesday from 2pm to 5pm at the MOP hub discharge lounge, G level, West Wing, Southampton General Hospital, with carers lead Gloria Ede.
Support available includes:
- Emotional support
- Involvement in complex discharge
- Referral for carers assessment
- Social prescribing - signposting for specialist support
- Liaising with local authorities
- Support through feedback and complaints process
To book a place, please email Gloria.Ede@uhs.nhs.uk or CarerSupport@uhs.nhs.uk.