Enfield Carers Centre (ECC) provides advice, information and support to the estimated 27,000 unpaid carers who either live in Enfield or care for someone who lives in the Borough. Enfield's current Joint Strategy for Carers (produced by the Council and NHS Enfield) hghlights ECC's role as one which provides a central point of contact for unpaid carers in the Borough and for those other organisations supporting carers.
The range of services provided by ECC includes access to information, advice and training; help with benefits/finance/ legal issues; advocacy; counselling; support for young adult carers; group support/drop-in sessions; carers' breaks and complementary therapy sessions.
This provision plays a key role in implementing the main aims of the Joint Carers Strategy and is having an impact by enabling carers:
- To be respected as expert care partners and have access to the integrated and personalised services they need to support them in their caring role.
- To be able to have a life of their own alongsided their caring role.
- To be supported so that they are not forced into financial hardship as a result of their caring role.
- To be supported to stay mentally and physically well and treated with dignity.
To meet the priorities for improvement identified in the Joint Strategy for Carers. ECC has services in place which aim:
- To increase the numbers of carers assessed who have their own support plan
- To develop ways of ensuring that more carers are identified at an earlier stage and are better supported
- To improve ways in which carer involvement is achieved through forums, consultation and training
- To work with GP surgeries and local hospitals to ensure the better availability of information and support
for carers
- To increase the number of carers using the Emergency Card scheme and Emergency Respite provision
- To ensure that better and more easily accessible information relevant to carers is available within Enfield
- To enable access to counselling and advocacy services for all carers who need these
- To support those carers (particularly young adult carers) with opportunities for training to develop
work-related and self-confidence skills
- To work with local statutory and other voluntary organisations to co-ordinate and promote services for
carers in Enfield
