Our approach: Dignity, respect and lived experience
We are dedicated to treating carers and the people they care for with dignity, respect and kindness. We will focus on understanding people’s situations, strengths, and what matters most to them.
We know that caring can involve pride and purpose as well as stress, financial pressure, loss and trauma. Our approach aims to avoid assumptions and ensure carers feel seen, heard and supported.
We are committed to the York Poverty Truth Commission's guiding statement, “Nothing about us, without us, is for us” and their standards for organisations:
- We listen
- We are understanding
- We are respectful and friendly
- We are responsive, honest and care about getting you the right support
In York, we recognise that caring responsibilities can significantly affect people’s life chances. While caring is not a protected characteristic in national equality law; as a council, we treat caring as if it were in local decision-making and service delivery.
...it is a constant struggle to survive and we need more help, support and understanding.
Listening to lived experience
Carers’ voices are central to this strategy. Carers are experts in their own lives and in what the people they care for need. Through lived experience of caring, carers bring vital insight into what works, what doesn’t, and where support needs to change.
Hearing what carers have to say is an important part of promoting their rights, understanding their experience, and valuing the care they provide. Involving carers as equal partners is essential to achieving better outcomes for them and the people they support.
We recognise that carers’ experiences are diverse and can be shaped by many factors, including age, health, culture, employment, education, and the needs of the person they care for.
This strategy has been guided by carers’ lived experience through ongoing conversations. This includes working with carers through the Carers Action Group and Carers Strategy Group and a citywide consultation.
We know we need to do more to hear from carers to understand and support their specific and individual needs. It is important that we reach carers who may not be known to services or are less likely to seek support. This will help us address barriers to carers getting the right support and help to prevent carers being disadvantaged.
It is always a good idea to actively listen to the people on the front line of caring rather than people who ‘think they know what carers want or need’ but have no direct experience of how difficult it can be to get advice or assistance or just manage on a day to day basis.