Commitment to Carers Pledge
Care & Repair supports vulnerable people and their families to live safely and independently in their homes, including offering guidance and services for those who are in desperate need of better living conditions.
We are part of a group of organisations to champion the needs of carers in the city of Leeds known as the Leeds Carers Partnership and have made specific commitments to integrating support for carers into their current activities and services.
Our Commitment to Carers pledge highlights our joint commitment to supporting carers alongside a city-wide group of organisations and shows that our services have a focus on meeting the needs of those who are overlooked when providing care to the most vulnerable individuals in the local community. There are currently around 77,000 unpaid carers in Leeds alone, a figure presented by Carers Leeds during Carers Week 2022 (6th -12th June).
It has become increasingly apparent that many carers are unable to access all the services they need. A recent support package released by the government supplements those affected by the rising cost of living, but this additional support does not extend to those on Carers Allowance. Those carers missing out include those who are still in full-time education and supporting family members with long-term physical or mental health conditions, and others can feel they face additional barriers to accessing support purely from where they live in the city.
For one in five young carers, their caring responsibilities have a negative impact on their education, and they are more likely to drop out of education, as a result. The Caring for Carers Event held at CATCH (Community Action To Create Hope) in Harehills on 9th June encouraged the voices of young carers who use the Centre’s youth programme to support them through the challenges they face at home. Amongst those who attended with challenging home circumstances were members of the community that Care & Repair have provided for in the past.
Care & Repair are developing their services to improve ways of identifying carers who are overlooked. The holistic assessments carried out by our support workers and our current partnerships with other organisations regarding fuel poverty make it easier for us to identify those in need and who may fall through the cracks. We ensure that everyone working for Care & Repair has an increased awareness of the complexity of issues faced by carers in Leeds.