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Review of the Implementation of the Northern Ireland Single ...

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2.3 Standard 3 Support Services<br />

Carers have access to a range <strong>of</strong> quality services that meet <strong>the</strong>ir identified<br />

need<br />

Range <strong>of</strong> Services to Meet Assessed Need<br />

The review team noted that all trusts have a range <strong>of</strong> services to meet <strong>the</strong><br />

assessed needs <strong>of</strong> carers as follows:<br />

Day care<br />

Respite care<br />

Domiciliary care including night care<br />

Out <strong>of</strong> hours contact points<br />

Carers‟ support groups<br />

Statutory/Voluntary partnerships<br />

All trusts have numerous partnership agreements in place with statutory and<br />

voluntary organisations. This has enabled <strong>the</strong>m to draw on skills and<br />

innovative approaches in <strong>the</strong> development and delivery <strong>of</strong> sustainable carer<br />

support services.<br />

Organisations involved with trusts and providing services include, for example,<br />

Extracare, Age NI, Carers NI and <strong>the</strong> Alzheimer‟s society. The Belfast Trust<br />

has a contract with Belfast Carer‟s Centre and staff are encouraged to refer<br />

carers to this resource to access, for example, counselling and benefits<br />

advice. The review team noted that <strong>the</strong> Western Trust had worked<br />

successfully with an organisation called Me UnLtd which provides personal<br />

development programmes for carers.<br />

The Public Health Agency has supported trusts/carers through <strong>the</strong> provision <strong>of</strong><br />

non-recurrent funding to enable <strong>the</strong> development and printing <strong>of</strong> carer<br />

information leaflets in a number <strong>of</strong> programmes.<br />

Some Community Mental Health Teams have developed group support for<br />

carers who look after someone with dementia. Trusts reported that contracts<br />

with organisations that provide support to carers are subject to monitoring and<br />

quality assurance as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir normal commissioning arrangements.<br />

Carer Cash Grant Schemes<br />

Currently four trusts have in place a Carer Cash Grant Scheme which may be<br />

available to a carer following a carer‟s assessment. The Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Trust has<br />

recently piloted a version <strong>of</strong> this scheme in <strong>the</strong>ir Physical Disability service.<br />

The grant can be used for any service that helps <strong>the</strong> carer maintain <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

caring role. Trusts gave innovative examples <strong>of</strong> how <strong>the</strong>y use <strong>the</strong>se monies,<br />

21

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