Leeds City Council is seeking the views of carers as part of a consultation about community based respite services (aka sitting services)  that are currently provided in Leeds.

The consultation period is between Monday 3 September and Friday 9 November 2018.

Carers Leeds urges all carers to take this opportunity to speak up.

Carers have the right to a life outside of caring and to be able to take time for themselves to look after their own mental and physical health. Community Based Respite, that is fairly available to all carers, is an essential provision for carers.

Who?

The four care agencies currently providing Community Based Respite for the council are:

  • Allied Healthcare
  • Mears Care Ltd
  • Moorcare
  • Synergy (previously Sevacare)

The service is usually provided in the home of the person with care needs and is often known as a ‘sitting service’.

What?

A community based respite service is where a paid worker, employed by one of four care agencies, gives the carer a short break for between two and eight hours per week.

Why?

People who receive a community based respite service from one of these four care agencies currently do not pay for this service. However, other people who receive a similar service to help them have a break from caring do have to pay for the service they receive.

Leeds City Council is now seeking your views as part of a consultation on some proposed changes to make this arrangement fairer, more consistent and in a way which allows more carers to benefit from a short break.

How?

  1. Completing and returning the questionnaire: https://surveys.leeds.gov.uk/s/CBRSC1/
  2. By emailing A&Hconsultation2018@leeds.gov.uk
  3. By telephone on 0113 378 3821

You can also attending one of the following informal consultation events where you can hear more details about the proposals and have a chance to give your views

Thursday 4 October 2018, 10.00am – 12noon

Venue: Moortown Social Club, Cranmer Gardens, Leeds, LS17 5LA

Tuesday 16 October 2018, 2.00 – 4.00pm

Venue: Hillside, Beeston Road, Leeds, LS11 8ND.

If you are experiencing difficulty in sharing your views via the above options, please contact the carers advice line on 0113 380 4300 to discuss the barriers and how we may be able to help.

For more information visit: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/community-based-respite-service-consultation

Recommended Reading: Being Heard – A Guide to Self-Advocacy For Carers

When caring it can be hard work to get our voice heard. We might not know what help to ask for or indeed who to communicate with.

When presented with opportunities like a local authority consultation, it is time to speak up for ourselves and for the person we’re caring for, and important to get your message across.

This Carers UK guide gives tips on how to be assertive, how to influence and how to communicate effectively, especially in complicated and challenging circumstances.