Total Carers referred to scheme from start (6/04) Children's Team 7 Drugs & Alcohol Team 1 Hospital Team 2 Learning Dis. Team 2 Mental Health (18-64) 40 Mental Health (65+) 4 Adult Teams 68 CARERS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT - COUNSELLING SCHEME EVALUATION JANUARY 2006

Number of Carers used/using vouchers – 76 = 61% Number of Carers waiting to start – 20 = 16% Number of Carers started and stopped – 4 = 3% Number of Carers didn’t start – 24 = 20%

TOTAL NUMBER OF VOUCHERS USED Children's Team 23 Drugs & Alcohol Team 2 Hospital Team 10 Learning Dis Team 10 Mental Health (18-64) 131 Mental Health (65+) 18 Adult Teams 277

RESULTS FROM CORE EVALUATION 31 Carers Completed CORE x 2 Phase 1 – 20 carersPhase 2 – 11 carers 9 improved (45%)7 improved (64%) 10 no change4 no change 1 deteriorated0 deteriorated Benchmark for improvement 75% (NHS)

Carers who said they would recommend the service to 75% Other Carers FEEDBACK FROM 19 CARERS WHO HAVE USED THE SERVICE ON COMPLETION OF THE SERVICE QUESTIONNAIRE Carers considered counselling had helped them: Understand their difficulties80% Manage their caring role better74% Bring about change in personal relationships78% Carers who said they: Found the service easy to link into85% Felt the waiting time before starting counselling 15% was longer than anticipated Carers who considered: The Scheme Co-ordinator was helpful/very helpful94% The Counsellor was helpful/very helpful88%

Appreciate the freedom to speak and not be judged, and discuss all the problems and emotions in safety THE COUNSELLING HAS HELPED CARERS: See things from a different perspective Feel a great sense of release Look forward to a brighter future Get back their confidence and skills for coping

The counselling was bringing up issues from the past and this was unhelpful FEEDBACK FROM CARERS WHO STOPPED OR CHANGED COUNSELLOR The counsellor’s perceived preoccupation with exploring the past or dwelling on the past was too painful The counsellor was not sufficiently positive and proactive in advising how to deal with the future The cared for person improved The counselling setting was not conducive The counsellor was not able to fulfil the Carer’s expectations in terms of the number of issues to explore in 10 sessions

Inappropriate referrals?  Not highest priority for solving problems – needed practical problems dealt with first  Space to do it – even where counselling may help carer to organise demands on their time  Alternative counselling already available e.g. Occupational Health,PMHT n Commitment to counselling – is carer doing it because of workers advise, to please worker? n Other sources of emotional support not explored but available ie family or networks

Did not want to leave the Cared For alone FEEDBACK FROM 11 CARERS WHO DID NOT USE THE SERVICE Carers did not use the service because: The problems were resolved in another way72% Could not find time to consider counsellor options 37% Lack of an immediate vacancy 9% Carers who said the scheme should continue81% Carers’ reasons for not using the scheme: Cared For went into residential care Talking to the Scheme co-ordinator was sufficient More practical help was required

More practical help was provided and stress levels decreased OTHER REASONS FED BACK TO/IDENTIFIED BY SCHEME CO- ORDINATOR FOR NON TAKE UP OF VOUCHERS Bereavement Inappropriate referrals from Care Management e.g: Panic – overwhelmed by offers of Social Services support Chaotic lifestyle Carer’s own health problems overtook Good family support in place “Not for me” Other counselling was offered at the same time e.g. occupational health,PMHT