Consultations

A big worry for carers this past year has been supporting their loved one while they were in hospital – and when they were discharged from hospital too. Some Surrey carers have reported not being consulted with, or properly informed, when the person they cared for was being discharged. Surrey NHS hospitals and Surrey County Council are aware of these challenges and are looking to improve the hospital discharge processes, and want to hear from carers in Surrey. So, Action for Carers, working with Healthwatch Surrey, want to find out about YOUR experiences of hospital discharge since last summer. What’s worked, what were the problems, what could be done differently? The information will then be passed on to the NHS and SCC to help them plan for better future care.

The NHS has a commitment in its long term plan that: ‘Carers should not have to deal with emergencies on their own. We will ensure more carers understand the out-of-hours options that are available to them and have appropriate back up support in place for when need it’. Therefore health and social care in Surrey are developing a new ‘Carer Contingency Planning Service’ which will offer carers support in creating a plan for use in case of emergencies. While we hope they are never needed, having a plan for back-up support in place when you might need it is important. Adam Watkins, Senior Joint Carers Lead (Carer Contingency Planning) at Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System, is leading the development of this service and seeks carers to feed in to ensure it reflects what carers need. To get involved, or find out more, please email Adam – email adam.watkins@nhs.net

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust would like to hear the views of people in Surrey on the use of digital technology in healthcare. The survey results will enable the trust to design and shape new services.

Surrey County Council is engaging with different groups to develop the new Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment Strategy and want the views of people with a physical disability and/or sensory impairment. Workshops from March till May will look at: what kind of care and support is needed? Where are the gaps in provision? And how best to plan for future needs. Dates are: • For people with a sight impairment: Thursday 22nd April at 10.30am • For people with a long-term neurological condition: Tuesday 11th May at 10.30am. • Final workshop, end of May, date to be confirmed. To join, or share your views, please contact Yasmin.broome@surreycoalition or you can send your views to psd.strategy@surreycc.gov.uk

Consultation Event: Thursday 8 April, 10am-12pm. The Abraham Cowley Unit, a specialist mental health unit based at St Peter’s, is being redesigned. Getting the designs right is fundamental to ensuring that the new hospital transforms the experience of people who use the services, carers, families, and staff. At the next event to share views (called the ‘Lived Experience Group’) the architects, IBI, will use a virtual 3D model to do a ‘walk through’ the building, to get a sense of size and space, and how the building will work. The group will look particularly closely at arriving, eating, and sleeping at the unit, and the experience of visiting families and carers. If you are a family member or carer who’s used the Unit’s services in the past, please come along and share your ideas.

Woking Borough Council are seeking 1,000 residents of the borough (18+) to join their new Residents' Panel. Consulted several times a year, they'll be invited to share their views on a variety of issues, projects and services that the Council provides, and help shape the Council's vision for the future. They seek a diverse range of people, and no experience or prior knowledge is required. More info on the image link; or you can email debbie.hickman@woking.gov.uk CLOSES 31 MARCH.

The Surrey Care Record allows Surrey authorised health and social care professionals share data about patients - hopefully providing better joined up care. Surrey Heartlands and Healthwatch Surrey want your help to create communications, including a video, to explain the Surrey Care Record. Can you help?

Surrey's Independent Mental Health Network are carrying out a short survey regarding mental health crisis support during the current Coronavirus pandemic. Please click to complete the survey.

The SCC User Voice and Participation team are working with emotional wellbeing and mental health services to gain an understanding of what it feels like for a young person transitioning out of the services they access. This transition could be out of children’s emotional wellbeing and mental health services completely or into another service. This short survey will help The User Voice and Participation Team to know what transition currently feels like for young people. We will also feed this information back to the appropriate services to ensure your voice is heard and hopefully bring about positive change to improve transition for other young people in Surrey. CLOSES 30 SEPTEMBER

A medical student study at the University of Birmingham is looking into the the impact of stress on people who care for adults with an intellectual disability. Participation would be an hour's Zoom discussion. Please click to see more details and email jxo636@student.bham.ac.uk if you'd like more information or to get involved. APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 APRIL.

COVID-19 can cause symptoms that last for weeks or months, this is known as Long COVID syndrome. The symptoms are wide-ranging and fluctuating. COVID seems to have had a particularly strong impact on older people, ethnic minorities, men and people with learning disabilities. The NHS wishes to boost support for people with Long COVID, and has set up a ‘taskforce’. They are looking for people – including carers – to share their perspective and experience, seeking 9 people (nationally) to participate in a patient and public advisory group. APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 APRIL.

Are you an unpaid carer in the Armed Forces community? The RBLI have a new survey to find out how they can make your experiences better. Your answers will help shape their policy and campaigning work, and improve the support you receive. CLOSES 5 APRIL.

A study at UCL exploring the perspectives of Black carers who have experienced their loved one being compulsorily detained under the Mental Health Act (sometimes referred to as 'being sectioned') - reflecting also on the fact that Black people seem to be disproportionately detained. Research involves a confidential interview and two short questionnaires, with a £20 voucher for participation. Details on the attached poster (click image)

The government has published a White Paper on the major changes it is planning for the Mental Health Act. There's a new emphasis on choice and rights; a view to ending the need for coercion; and a focus on treating patients as individuals. More here (PLEASE CUT AND PASTE THESE LINKS TO VISIT THESE ADDITIONAL PAGES) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-reform-of-mental-health-laws and here from Rethink https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/blogs/2021/01/the-mental-act-white-paper-a-big-step-towards-change/ If you have had experience of the Act, you're asked to share your views.