1. Timely Information to Citizens Information for Carers Project Dr Mirjam Southwell Dr Will Thomas University Campus Suffolk

2. Department of Communities and Local Government funding to Suffolk County Council Project delivered by the Centre for Applied Research at UCS

3. 2008 APHR Identified a number of groups that have relatively poor health “Users sometimes had limited knowledge of their rights to services and how to access them appropriately”

4. “Family Carers” “A family carer can be defined as a person who provides unpaid care, whether for an elderly relative, a spouse, a child with additional needs or a parent”

5. In 2000, 1 in 6 people was a family carer 1 in 5 households contained a family carer APHR estimates 98,000 family carers in Suffolk

6. Health Implications Over a third of family carers report that caring makes them worried, depressed or tired Three in four family carers consult their GP each year about their physical health

7. It would cost Suffolk £39m if family carers were publically funded 82% of young carers have not been formally assessed for their needs as carers

8. APHR Conclusions Need for a multi-agency approach to addressing needs of family carers Work together with the voluntary sector Work to maintain employment and training rights for family carers

9. Suffolk Projects Suffolk Short Breaks for Carers Pilot – “Time for You” Carers Information Strategy Other smaller projects run by Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Family Carers

10. Timely Information to Citizens Financed by DCLG Innovative projects to provide better local information to citizens Successful projects will act as exemplars Feed into a good practice toolkit

11. Research Brief  What? Contribute to improving information channels for family carers in Suffolk Identify inadequacies in current information delivery methods

12. Research Brief  Why? To enable family carers in Suffolk to access information, advice and guidance by providing timely information

13. Research Brief  How? 1.Inquiry –literature review and interviews with stakeholders 2.Development workshops – results of inquiry presented to expert family carer groups to brainstorm ideas to improve information channels

14. Stakeholders Health services Local Authorities Third Sector Family carers

15. Family Carers Rural Young people Older adults Male / female Black and Minority Ethnic Disabled

16. http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/1788-1831/all/1/TwoTone_Phone.aspx# http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/2261-2263/all/1/Alternative_View.aspx# http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/2261-2270/all/1/Out_of_the_Box.aspx# http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/archive/hhrc/programmes/ra/2001/ellie.html http://www.wiredesign.com/page/news/ideas_that_matter/47,0,0,0.html

17. Centre for Applied Research Dr Mirjam Southwell m.southwell@ucs.ac.uk Dr Will Thomas w.thomas@ucs.ac.uk