Support services for carers will be merged in a bid to improve their health and wellbeing.
Camden Council hopes new plans including a “digital offer” will improve the service’s reach, peer support through the Young Adult Carer (YAC) group, and advocacy on behalf of carers with housing and welfare benefits.
The council's cabinet have agreed to combine the current services provided by Camden Carers and Mobilise into one contract.
The authority is also proposing to work in partnerships to better help younger carers, such as with transitioning to the YAC and with employment support.
The proposal comes after an 18-month collaboration between the Town Hall, carers and residents to produce an action plan with priority areas.
Cllr Anna Wright, who delivered the report to the cabinet, said that after “a lot of learning and engagement”, the service redesign will “correspond to key themes that arose from discussions with carers”.
She added: “But the key difference is that right now we have two different, separate services, with digital support added to our offer to carers because of the clearly increased needs in that area coming out of Covid.
“This gives us the opportunity to bring both services into one single, coherent service, and we’re looking forward to the chance to do so.”
The cabinet welcomed the report with swift approval.
Cllr Patricia Callaghan said: “We have some amazing carers in Camden, and I’m so glad they’re going to be looked after.”
Cllr Patricia Callaghan. Photograph: Camden Council (Civico)
Cllr Wright added that she felt “confident and proud” that Camden’s carer support service was “a very good one”.
“I’m also confident we’ll be able to continue that and get even better.”
The 2021 census estimated that there were nearly 15,000 carers in the borough — equivalent to seven per cent of the population.
A report the same year from Public Health England found mounting evidence that unpaid care should be considered a “social determinant of health”, warning that those with caring responsibilities often have poor mental and physical health.
The Care Act 2014 and other statutory guidance made it a legal duty for councils to identify and assess the needs of unpaid carers.
Under the proposed timeline for the revamped service, the renewed contract will start in April 2025.
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