Carers strategy to be a 'catalyst for change'

The strategy will be debated by Tynwald members at the June sitting of the parliament

A 10-year plan to improve recognition and support for carers will act as a "catalyst for change", the health minister has said.

The Carers Strategy 2024-34 was produced by the Department of Health and Social Care in conjunction with Crossroads, with £96,000 set aside to deliver it in its first year.

The document, which will be debated in Tynwald this month, outlines measures to help deliver support pathways by considering them alongside healthcare decision making.

With the document's coinciding with Carers' Week, Lawrie Hooper said it was important to "highlight the valuable work that carers do" and raise their profile.

'Critical partners'

The 2021 Isle of Man census found that there were 4,869 individuals providing care or support to someone else, with 1,396 of those carers providing that for more than 50 hours a week.

Mr Hooper said that a lot of people who were caring for others did not "self-identify", but instead saw themselves as "helping a friend or neighbour".

Carers were "critical partners in healthcare" and the amount of unpaid caring on the island "massively outweighs" the amount that was paid, he continued.

The department has budgeted £60,000 to increase the number of carers assessments to make sure "the level of support is right for them", he said.

Other action points in the strategy include the creation of an accessible website, further development of services like respite to give carers breaks from their responsibilities, and exploring changes to the Carers Allowance.

"If you are spending quite a lot of your life looking after someone, it can have emotional, physical and mental health impacts" on that individual, and "it is making sure that people know there is somewhere they can go for help", Mr Hooper said.

If approved by Tynwald, the roll out of the strategy would start shortly thereafter, he added.