Carer Break Service – A community and volunteer led approach
On this page
- Lead Organisation
North Yorkshire Council
- Project contact
Sally Anderson
sally.anderson@northyorks.gov.uk
01609 532438
The carer break service in North Yorkshire was commissioned in October 2023 and is delivered by 3 lead voluntary organisations and 7 partner organisations. Rooted in a place-based approach this volunteer delivered model suits our local authority geography to support meeting the needs of carers in super rural, rural, and urban areas.
North Yorkshire Council is committed to developing proactive, responsive, and visible prevention services which enable carers to take a break from their caring role and responsibilities.
To meet this vision, a carer break service which is innovative, integrated, and personalised has been designed and commissioned to help to meet the aspirations and assets of unpaid carers. Examples of support provided to carers and the person they care for include:
- A gentleman living with dementia and volunteer who are both keen cyclists, sharing their hobby and enjoying rides out together.
- A volunteer and the carer’s husband building a bird table and garden furniture together and regularly visiting the person’s allotment together.
The service aims are to reduce isolation and maintain a sustainable carer relationship by linking carers with people, organisations and groups within their communities. An additional benefit to a volunteer approach is enabling people who have had carer experience to support other carers, providing peer support when their own circumstances change.
A strong emphasis on ‘I’ statements has been used throughout the service design and contract process. This ensures that carers are seen holistically and are given a voice to influence future service design.
- Partners
Humber and North Yorkshire ICB
- Project duration
October 2023 to September 2026 with the possibility of extension for up to 4 years.
- Key beneficiaries
Unpaid carers in North Yorkshire
Carer Break Service – A community and volunteer led approach
Why we started this initiative
Engagement was carried out before setting up the project which showed that a flexible, volunteer-led service linked with a community-based prevention approach gave the best Value For Money and best chance of ensuring sustainability.
Many carers valued volunteers as more like friends who choose to spend time with their loved one rather than being a paid carer.
Organisations providing carer breaks are often community hubs which provide wider support and activities for the overall benefit of carers e.g. advice, support and signposting and meeting other carers at group activities.
Our goals
Our aim is to enable carers to take a break in ways that help to maintain a balance between caring responsibilities and looking after their own health, and wellbeing.
The service aims to reduce isolation and maintain a sustainable carer relationship by linking carers with people, organisations, and groups within their communities.
Key outcomes are identified as:
- Carers enabled to take a break from caring.
- Carers helped to cope with caring.
- Carers supported to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.
- Carers enabled to take part in activities or to have an interest outside of their caring role and responsibilities.
How we’re implementing it
The initiative is delivered by three lead voluntary organisations and seven partner organisations through a contract. Rooted in a place-based approach, this volunteer delivered model suits our local authority geography to support meeting the needs of carers in super rural, rural, and urban areas.
The contract is overseen by a Service Development Manager alongside other prevention services. We take a reflective service review approach focusing on service activity, learning and achievements, alongside stories illustrating examples of the carer achieving one or more of the service outcomes as set out in ‘I’ statements.
- Importance of a vibrant and strong community voluntary and community sector – to enable the carers break scheme to link to local community organisations that support carers. North Yorkshire has adopted a stronger communities approach since 2015, investing in community capacity and resilience on a market town footprint, including a grant programme that supports people to Stay Healthy, Independent and Connected. We are committed to developing proactive, responsive, and visible prevention services which enable carers to take a break from their caring role and responsibilities.
- Importance of a vibrant and strong respite market to offer support for carers when a person needs regulated care.
- Importance of using a range of techniques to build a volunteer force, including matching people based on interest. A ‘flourishing friendships’ initiative in one area appealed to new volunteers focusing on the stories and interests of people – asking people if they’d like to be a buddy to someone to allow their carer to have a break. For example “I am ninety and nautical! I have a keen interest in anything to do with boats. I have lots of tales to tell from my seafaring days”.
Challenges
- Ensuring there are enough volunteers to respond to One response to this challenge is to offer group activities e.g., walks, activity sessions or cinema
- Requests are more high level to match with volunteers for example carers of people with dementia. One response is to encourage carers to come forward earlier.