Rethink carers service shortlised for East Midlands NHS Health and Social Care Award

Rethink Leicestershire County and Rutland Carers’ Service, has been short-listed for the Mental Health and Wellbeing category of the NHS Health and Social Care Award scheme

The scheme has been set up across ten regions in the UK including the East Midlands as part of the NHS 60th anniversary celebrations.

The carers support service is run by mental health charity Rethink in partnership with the local NHS Trust. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Wednesday 30th April at The Athena Banqueting Suite, Rutland Street, Leicester. 

David Barsby, Rethink Service Manager said: “The project has managed to let many carers see they are not on their own, that their situation is not unique and that there are others ‘out there’ experiencing exactly the same issues, problems, stresses, anxieties, pain or anguish. To some, knowing there is a support network available to them, has literally saved them from their desperate situations.

“Many people who are in a caring role do not identify themselves as a carer, they are a wife, husband, father or mother caring for and supporting the person they love and don’t realise there is help available as a “carer”.  We are particularly pleased that we have successfully managed to reach many more people within the Leicestershire area with this message – we’ve extended the number of carer support groups from two to six and had an extra 157 carers attend support groups at the end of last year alone.”
 
One of the key things the service provides for carers is a respite service – providing expert care for the person with a mental health problem whilst their carer has a break, helping to prevent the carer also becoming ill.